


whatever the question

by tattooedsiren



Category: Suits (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Domestic, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-25
Updated: 2013-10-25
Packaged: 2017-12-30 11:49:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 44,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1018261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tattooedsiren/pseuds/tattooedsiren
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Harvey and Mike are called into Jessica's office, they're convinced she has discovered the truth about Mike's past. And she has, just not in the way they anticipated. It's revealed that Mike isn't actually an American citizen, and Harvey does what he always does: covers for Mike. He says the first idea that comes into his head, which just happens to result in Harvey telling the American government that he and Mike are getting married.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is AU because, apart from Mike's past, there are a few other minor changes. In terms of canon, only the events of season one occurred in this verse, so no one knows the truth about Mike's lack of law degree. Also, characters that are dead in canon are alive and well here because of reasons. (I wrote this before season three started, so Harvey's brother has a different name, and Gordon might be slightly different than in canon.)
> 
> I wrote this as a one shot, but the length did get slightly out of hand, so it's been split into chapters for your reading convenience. But much love to anyone who has the time and inclination to read it all in one sitting. 
> 
> This is 40k of domestic goodness and zero plot, so consider yourselves warned. :O)
> 
> It probably won't take you too long to work out that the core of this fic was inspired by The Proposal, but it's definitely it's own story.
> 
> A million hugs and kisses to my dear friend and beta, [smartalli](http://archiveofourown.org/users/smartalli/pseuds/smartalli), because without her this fic would literally not exist. I love you, bb.

It's been a quiet few weeks. Too quiet, Harvey realizes, like they're tempting fate. And then, mere moments later, he feels like he was expecting it when Donna strides into his office and announces, "Jessica wants to see you both right away."

Harvey and Mike are sitting at his table, elbow deep in paperwork as they work on a merger (ugh, so boring). At Donna's proclamation they both look at each other and simultaneously demand, "What did you do?"

Donna actually laughs out loud. Mike is grinning at him, and he can tell the younger man is about two seconds away from saying _Jinx!_. So he stops the childish behavior before it occurs, giving Mike a stern look and telling him, "Don't even think about it," which somehow makes Mike grin even more.

With an eye-roll Harvey stands, grabbing his jacket from the back of his chair and putting it on. Mike follows his lead, as always, and they head out to Jessica's office.

"So, do you actually know what this is about?" Mike asks, and Harvey can hear the anxiety lacing his words.

"No," Harvey admits, and glancing at Mike he can see his face fall. "I'm sure it's nothing," he adds, trying to alleviate Mike's fears. "Probably just a new case or something."

Things have been going well lately. So maybe it's just denial speaking, but Harvey can't even consider another reason for the summons. Mike's first instinct whenever something unexpected happens is to worry about someone finding out their secret. But they've kept that same secret for over two years. Harvey refuses to believe someone could've found out now.

But then they approach Jessica's office, and Harvey pulls Mike up short, hand hooking around his elbow. Jessica isn't alone in there. There are two men, strangers, standing next to her. They give off an official vibe, just from the way they stand and the cut of their suits. And suddenly he's not so sure anymore.

Mike has seen them now, and has clearly reached the same conclusion. He inches closer to Harvey, panic clear across his face.

"Mike, it's okay, look at me," he says. He knows he needs Mike to be calm and rational if they have any chance of lying their way through this. His poker face is shit, and it won't matter what Harvey says about Mike's qualifications if the whole time Mike is standing beside him, giving everything away. "Just follow my lead, okay? Whatever happens."

Mike nods numbly, and Harvey squeezes his upper arm briefly before leading the way into the office.

"Jessica," he says as he walks in. "How can we help you?" he adds easily, without a care in the world.

"Harvey, Mike, this is Edward Beker and Adrian Burrows. They've just brought some very disturbing information about Mike to me."

Harvey can feel Mike stiffen beside him. He doesn't know how he's going to explain Mike's lack of law degree. All he knows is he will go down fighting. "Jessica-"

"Is it true, Mike," Jessica says, completely ignoring Harvey, "that you are not, in fact, an American citizen but are living and working here illegally?"

Harvey can't help it. He groans, hand covering his face, while Mike splutters beside him. He can't believe that with everything they know about each other, Mike has somehow managed to forget to tell him this not at all insignificant detail about himself. But he composes himself quickly, putting a hand to Mike's back, silently communicating to stop talking before he says something even more stupid.

"Yes, Jessica, it's true," he says, hoping that they'll all believe that he always knew, that his brief moment of disbelief was from being caught out and not because he actually didn’t know. "And Mike and I have discussed many times his need to get naturalized. I'm sure you can appreciate how that can be put on the backburner when you work the hours we work."

"A busy work life does not exempt you from breaking the law," Beker says, and his voice is as bland and monotone as Harvey had imagined.

"Agreed," Harvey says, not wanting to anger him. "But gentleman, it's all moot anyway, because Mike and I are getting married."

You could hear a pin drop in the silence that follows. Burrows and Beker remain stony faced with hints of disbelief, Jessica is looking at him like he has actually gone insane, and Mike is just staring at him, mouth open in shock.

"A fake marriage is no solution to this problem," Burrows says.

"Who says it's fake?" Harvey counters.

"Given Mike and Jessica's reaction, I'd say it's obvious."

"Well, Jessica didn't even know we were dating. Pearson Hardman has rules about fraternization, which we've obviously broken. And as for Mike," he says, turning to face his associate. Mike finally manages to close his mouth, looks a bit calmer with Harvey's gaze heavy with his. When Mike schools his features he turns back to the Immigration officers. "We'd agreed to keep our relationship secret, even after we got married. Like I said, fraternization. Plus the fact that it's nobody's goddamn business, and he's probably just shocked I broke our number one rule." He turns back to Mike and says softly, "Sorry, baby."

Harvey looks back to Burrows and Beker, completely calm, like they can't touch him now. He wants to add a sarcastic _anything else?_ but figures now is not the time to push his luck.

"For the record," Beker says, pulling a business card from his jacket pocket, "I don't believe any of this. But if this is your stance, so be it." He scribbles on the back of the card and hands it to Harvey. "Just know that if we discover you're lying there will be consequences. Severe consequences. We expect you both there on Wednesday to begin the verification of this so-called relationship."

Harvey takes the card with a nod.

"We'll also need you to complete some preliminary paperwork and have it returned within twenty four hours."

"Not a problem," Harvey says, reaching into his suit jacket pocket and pulling out his own business card. "Email it to me and we'll send it back as soon as possible."

Burrows pockets the card, and with one last disbelieving scowl the men silently leave the room. The three of them stand silent until they're certain the exiting officers are out of ear shot. As soon as Jessica's sure they're alone she steps towards Harvey, exclaiming, "Are you insane, Harvey?"

"Not that I'm aware," he says. He keeps the bravado up, because he doesn’t want to show weakness, even to Jessica. But now that the moment's over, the weight of the situation they've found themselves in feels heavy on his shoulders. He looks to Mike - because he can't not - to find Mike already looking at him, his expression a mixture of surprise and awe. A sudden clarity comes over him. He's already lied for Mike before, every damn day in fact. He wouldn’t take any of those days back, and he's never regretted the decision to hire Mike. He's always protected Mike. He's just doing it in a different way now. "Are you implying that the two of us being in a relationship is tantamount to insanity?"

"You are _not_ in a relationship," she says, like the whole idea is ludicrous.

"Pretty sure I just admitted otherwise," he replies. It’s obvious those immigration bastards will use any evidence they can get to prove their relationship isn't legitimate (which it isn't, but that's not the point), so he needs everyone to believe the lie. No one, not even their closest family or friends, can know the truth, otherwise this all unravels and they get fined or arrested or, worst of all, deported.

Harvey keeps Jessica's gaze, until she turns her attention to Mike. "Can you give us a minute, Mike?"

Mike looks completely out of his depth as he looks between them, not sure whether to stay or go. Harvey gives him a subtle nod, and Mike still looks dazed when he leaves, closing the door behind him.

"Harvey," Jessica says, and she sounds much gentler now. "I'm just trying to understand. I know you've covered for him before, that you like him, that he's your friend. But this ... do you know what will happen to you if the truth is discovered?"

"You mean that my partner will be allowed to remain in the country and continue helping you make a lot of money?"

And Jessica just looks at him for a beat before laughing. He's seen that expression before. It's her _I give up fighting, and am just going to sit back and watch this play out_ look. "Fine," she says. "For the record, I'm not sure I believe you either. But you've made your bed and now you're going to have to sleep in it. _Literally_."

She's grinning when she returns to her desk, and he takes the dismissal for what it is, leaving her office with a nod.

 

 

 

 

Mike doesn't know what else to do, so he just heads back to Harvey's office and paces the floor.

His mind is spinning with it. He'd tried to tell Harvey so many times. It was literally the only secret he had left. But every time he went to say the words, he couldn't bear the idea of seeing that disappointed look on his face. That face was the worst, and Mike would do everything in his power to not be on the receiving end of it. Even if that meant lying about his past.

Only he somehow got found out, and even more incredibly, Harvey had lied directly to the fucking government about their relationship to keep him here. His mind is spinning with the idea, overwhelming and confusing as it is, when Harvey returns to the office.

"Harvey-" Mike says urgently, but the older man holds up a hand to silence him.

"Not here," he murmurs, and Mike glances out of the office to see Donna looking in at them curiously. Mike nods in understanding, and Harvey heads to his desk. "Meet me downstairs in five. We're done for the day."

Mike nods, almost more surprised at Harvey ending the work day at one pm on a Monday afternoon than he is about everything else that's happening. He heads back to his own desk, shuts down his computer, grabs his belongings and goes to meet Harvey downstairs. Ray is already there, so Mike heads straight over to the car, smiling in greeting. Harvey isn't here yet, so they chat amiably until Harvey arrives a few minutes later.

"My place, Ray," Harvey says when they are all in the car, and Ray nods as he pulls the car into the traffic.

"Harvey-" Mike tries again, but is once more stopped from further speech, this time by a curt shake of the head.

"Not yet," Harvey says, and Mike gives up, watching the city fly by his car window as they make the familiar drive up Broadway to Harvey's apartment.

The drive just gives him more time to get lost in his confusion. He can't figure out Harvey's game plan. Obviously he isn't actually going to _marry Mike_ in order to keep him in the country. But he can't figure out what other purpose the bluff serves. And then there's his growing anxiety over the inevitable conversation they’re bound to have about how Mike's been lying to him this whole time. He mentally prepares himself for The Look of Disappointment.

When they arrive at the building they ride up the elevator in silence. Mike has given up trying to start the conversation, and Harvey is clearly in no hurry, so Mike just waits for him to make the first move.

Harvey lets them both in, and Mike makes a beeline for the couch, stripping off his suit jacket and tie as he moves across the room. He tosses the articles onto the nearby wingback and collapses onto the couch. He can hear Harvey in the kitchen, talking on his landline and ordering them lunch (a burger for Mike and a steak for Harvey) to be delivered to them from a restaurant down the street.

When Harvey finally comes and sits beside him on the couch Mike can't remain silent anymore. "So are we finally going to talk about how you basically just proposed marriage to me?"

And Harvey, incredibly, laughs. He sinks back into the couch, turns his head to look at Mike. "Proposal implies that there was a question that was answered. I'm not sure what you call what happened today."

They lapse back into silence, and despite the utter surrealism of the situation and that Mike was fully anticipating there would be heated words and recriminations, it's still a comfortable silence. There's no anger or judgement, just a quiet acceptance.

"I am sorry, you know," Mike says softly, because he is. If he'd known that this would be the outcome of his silence, he would've told Harvey the day they met.

"Why did you never tell me?" Harvey asks, and Mike's stomach lurches. Harvey doesn't sound angry, he sounds hurt.

"Because I didn't know how. You'd already risked everything by hiring someone with no degree. I couldn't tell you that I wasn't actually a citizen on top of that. I mean, I know this is going to sound stupid, but I've lived here for ten years. I forget sometimes that I'm actually Canadian. And when I did remember I thought about telling you but I could never gather the courage."

"If only you had," Harvey sighs. "Maybe we wouldn't be in this situation now."

"So, what exactly is the plan?" Mike asks, sitting straighter, the quiet intimacy of the previous moment broken with reality crashing through. Harvey is looking at him like he doesn't understand the question, so Mike makes a vague gesture with his hands when he says, "How are we going to fix this?"

Harvey sits up, looking tense now that he knows what Mike is asking. He avoids his eyes, and when Mike realizes the meaning of his silence, he blanches.

"No, Harvey, absolutely not."

"There's no other choice."

"There has to be. I will not force you to marry me just to keep me in the country."

"You're not forcing, I'm offering."

Mike stands from the couch, takes a few steps away. He doesn’t know how it is that _he's_ the angry one in this situation. Because Harvey was the one who was lied to, the one who’s giving up his personal life just to save his employee... why isn't he pissed off?

"Harvey," Mike says after taking a few moments to try and calm down. "You know I appreciate everything you've done for me these last couple of years. You changed my life and I'd do anything to repay that. Which is why I can't let you do this. I can't make you give up your life, just for me. I won't ... _bind_ you to me."

"There's no alternative," Harvey says with a sigh, standing and leaving the room.

 

 

 

 

Harvey doesn’t mean to abandon Mike in his living room, but he needs some space, to breathe, to think. Because the truth is, he hadn't really thought this through. In the heat of the moment, standing there in Jessica's office, someone threatening to take Mike away, he did the first thing that came to mind. And maybe there were other options they could've explored had he not jumped in feet first with the marriage idea, but he did, and there's no going back from that now.

It honestly didn't occur to him what this would mean for his life. Granted, they could give it a year and quietly divorce and be done with it. But the idea revolted. The reason he had never married before was because he took it very seriously, and didn't want to become another statistic. He wanted his marriage to last. His parents' hadn't, his brother's hadn't, and he didn't want to go through the pain he witnessed in them.

But his and Mike's divorce wouldn't be like that. It was just an agreement. There were no feelings, no hearts to be broken; it was just what needed to be done to save Mike. And he might bitch and moan about it sometimes, but he always did whatever needed to be done to save Mike.

The sound of the doorbell pulls him from the safety of his bedroom. He'd forgotten about the lunch delivery, and he heads to the front door, surprised to see Mike already there, paying for their meals. He'd expected Mike to flee. But he didn't. He's still here.

There is caution in Mike's eyes when their gazes meet, but then they busy themselves with the food, Mike pulling the containers out of the bag while Harvey grabs plates from the kitchen. Mike grabs some glasses and pours them both a drink of water, and they move easily around each other. It's a habit now, the routine developed over many a late night working in the condo.

Their food is dished up and they sit opposite each other at the dining table. But they don't eat. The air around them is tense, unresolved, and Harvey hates it.

"If we're going to do this, it has to look real. No one can know the truth, not our families or friends or colleagues. We can never tell anyone," Harvey says.

"Okay," Mike says on a deep exhale. "If you ever want to tap out, you tell me straight away. I won't do this if you aren't one hundred percent sure."

"Okay," Harvey agrees.

 

 

 

 

They spend the afternoon creating the back story of Harvey and Mike, secretly loved-up couple. The paperwork from Immigration has come through, so they start there. The first thing the form demands is their names and contact info, which brings up the immediate problem of the fact that they are still living apart despite claiming to be engaged. There's no way they could claim to be living together when a quick check will confirm they each hold leases in their own names, so they decide that though they still officially live apart they spend pretty much every night together anyway, sometimes at Mike's but most of the time at Harvey's.

The first actual question on the form asks when the relationship commenced, and it's a good place to start creating their history. The questions on the form are pretty bare bones, so once that's complete they take it to the next level. They create romantic anecdotes, dates that never happened, figure out how they got together and who proposed to whom. They decide who does all the cooking and cleaning and dry cleaning runs (and actually end up fighting over their hypothetical chores until Mike agrees to take on the cleaning as long as Harvey always cooks).

There's no need to ask questions about each other's lives, because they already know each others' favorite foods and music and movies. The only area that's slightly lacking is each other's romantic history, so they leave that for last.

Mike puts the laptop aside, saying, "I refuse to make notes on our romantic past."

Harvey laughs, nodding in agreement. "You wanna go first?"

Mike really doesn't, but he doesn’t want Harvey to know that either. "Well, there's not much to tell to be honest. My first girlfriend was Tess. We grew up together, had all those first milestones together that teenagers have. But she moved away at the end of high school, and I never saw her again. I came to America not long after, but obviously didn't really know anyone. So my next relationship was when I was twenty one. Her name was Emilie and we met at a coffee shop. We were together for nearly a year, but she started her post-grad study and we kinda grew apart. There was Gabrielle, but that relationship didn't last too long when I discovered she'd been seeing someone else the whole time. You know about Jenny, so that's it."

Harvey groans something that sounds like, "Oh God, you're not even gay." At Mike's enquiring look he laughs and says, "We're getting married and you aren't even gay. This is insane."

"Hey, this was your idea remember, just tell me if you want out." Harvey rolls his eyes at him, which makes Mike smile. "And yeah, okay, I've never been with a guy. I'm not gay, but I'm not exactly straight either. I'm ... I'm trying to come up with a less offensive term than _bi-curious_. I've never been with a guy, but that doesn't mean I've never thought about it before either."

"The Kinsey Scale is your friend, Mike. You should look it up sometime," Harvey says, standing from the couch and heading to the kitchen. Mike briefly glances at the laptop beside him and wonders if he'd have time to do a quick google before Harvey comes back, but decides against it.

Harvey returns soon enough, bottle of red and two glasses in hand. They've spent the afternoon here in Harvey's condo, drawing a timeline of their relationship, and the sun has set, signalling the beginning of alcohol times.

"So what about you?" Mike asks as Harvey pours. "If you've been gay this whole time then I'm seriously confused by all the women I've seen you with the last two years."

"Gay, no. Bisexual, yes," Harvey says simply before taking a sip of his drink.

Mike feels a rush of surprise, but as the information sinks in he doesn't know why he hadn't figured it out earlier. Looking back on it, the signs were definitely there. He feels a stab of pain that Harvey had never told him this before now, but given his secret that was exposed today, he figures he doesn't have a leg to stand on.

"Okay, so tell me all the gory details." At Harvey's look Mike realizes how that must've sounded and hastily adds, "I mean your relationships, tell me about all your _relationships_ ," and they're both laughing now.

"Well, there's even less to tell than you. I've had two official relationships – Caitlin Hughes and Zach Jones. Both lasted less than six months. I've had a couple of near relationships, with Scottie and Zoe, but apart from that it's all been casual flings and one night stands."

Mike had always known that Harvey had commitment issues, but hearing it laid out in such terms was overwhelming. Really for the first time he saw the scale of what Harvey was doing for him.

"You've never been in a relationship longer than six months, and you're marrying me," Mike says, a rush of affection for this man running through his veins. Harvey was making the biggest commitment of his life, and he was making it to Mike.

And Harvey smiles, says, "Well how could I turn down your amazingly eloquent and romantic proposal?"

 

 

 

 

Harvey takes Mike out for a late dinner, and despite the fact they've eaten together dozens upon dozens of times, for the first time he actually has to remind himself that it isn't a date.

Because it _feels_ like a date. They aren't talking about work like usual. They don't talk about their fake back-story (which is maybe slightly paranoid but Harvey figures better safe than sorry), they just enjoy each other's company as the two friends they are. And if Harvey is slightly more tactile than normal, well, he figures it's just something to get used to. There is laughter and teasing and it's almost enough to make him forget everything else that's going on.

There is an awkward moment at the end of the night when they hail a cab and Harvey realizes he has no idea what happens next. But he figures there's been enough fake relationship drama for today, so he hugs Mike and says, "See you tomorrow."

Mike nods, gives him a small smile, and slides into the cab, alone.

Work is as normal as ever the next day. Donna doesn't even ask about their abrupt departure, assuming it was case related, and Harvey doesn't dissuade her of this notion. He avoids Jessica as best as he's able, and when Mike turns up in his doorway at around ten and asks if he can work in his office, Harvey lets him.

They have a meeting scheduled in the afternoon as part of the merger they're working on, and though it was supposed to be held at Pearson Hardman, in the spirit of avoiding Jessica he gets Donna to contact opposing council and change the meeting to their offices. Mike has been antsy all day and Harvey thinks it will be good to get him out of the office.

After the meeting (it's a slam dunk, of course) they grab some hot dogs and meander down the street and Harvey reluctantly says, "So we should probably talk about how this is going to work."

"You mean our non-relationship?" Mike asks, but there's a hint of a smile there.

"Yeah," Harvey says, returning it. "We told them no one knew the truth about us, so we need to act like we're together while hiding the fact that we're together."

Mike looks at him for a moment before he deadpans, "I have no idea what that means."

Harvey laughs. "It means we need to be together more outside of the office, in case the Immigration agents are watching, but not too much that it raises the suspicions of our co-workers."

Mike is silent for a few moments before declaring, "I still don't know how that works."

Harvey rolls his eyes, but it's accompanied by a smile which lessens the impact. "It means we have dinner in public a few nights a week. It means you stay at my place, even if we go into work separately. It means we hang out together on the weekends."

Mike nods. "We have to date."

Harvey nods in agreement, and there doesn't seem to be much to say after that.

The rest of the work day is the same as normal, with the possible exception of Mike taking up residence in his office ("Saving me from the douche associates in the bullpen is the best engagement gift ever"). Jessica doesn't come and see them, Donna raises an eyebrow in question at Mike's presence but says nothing, and everything else is fairly typical.

At the end of the day there's less hesitation than the previous evening. They leave at the same time, and catch a cab to Mike's place. He helps Mike pack up some belongings (well, Mike packs everything, Harvey just provides a running commentary of mainly disparaging remarks and attempts to misplace a few of the most offending items) before they return to Harvey's condo.

Mike looks slightly ill at ease, and it's not an expression Harvey's used to seeing on Mike, not here. Because for all Mike gives him crap about his one percent lifestyle, he (not so) secretly loves Harvey's condo and turns up here uninvited more often than invited. He hovers in the front entranceway and Harvey suddenly realizes the reason for Mike's unease.

He doesn’t know where he's going to be sleeping.

"Come on, Mike," he murmurs gently, leading Mike to the seldom used guest room. Mike smiles in gratitude, and Harvey leaves him to unpack.

 

 

 

 

Mike's leg bounces up and down, a physical manifestation of the nerves flooding through his body, and only stops when Harvey puts a hand on his thigh.

"It's okay," Harvey whispers. Mike turns to look at him, and when he says, "We've got this."

Harvey seems so certain that Mike has little choice but to believe him. Mike nods, and Harvey gives his thigh a quick squeeze before he lets go.

After a near torturous wait of five minutes, Beker and Burrows finally enter the room and sit opposite them. They're each carrying manila folders and Mike wonders at their contents. What could they possibly have discovered about their relationship in two days?

"Mr. Specter, Mr. Ross, good morning," Beker says, and Harvey and Mike just nod in reply. "Normally when we have questions in regards to a couple's legitimacy we ask for certain types of evidence, but given your work relationship and your assertion that you've kept your relationship secret from everyone and that you aren't living together, these avenues aren't really appropriate. So for now here's how it's going to work - we're going to talk to you both together, and then we are going to separate you and talk to you individually. After that we'll regroup and decide how best to proceed depending on how your interviews progress. Any questions?"

Harvey and Mike both shake their heads, so Beker and Burrows open their folders, uncap their pens ready to take notes.

"Good. Okay, Mike, tell us about how you got together."

Mike takes a deep breath. "It was about a year ago. We'd had a meeting with Deloitte, at Rockefeller Center, where Harvey let me take the lead on a deposition. I thought I was ready, and Harvey," at this point Mike looks to the older man, smiles softly, "he believed in me." Harvey returns his smile, and Mike looks back to Beker. "But it didn't go well. I made a big mistake, and while Harvey was trying to clean up my mess I fled the room. I just needed some air, and made my way up to the observation deck. I was still stewing over my rookie error when Harvey found me. I-" Mike laughs, seemingly lost in the memory of a moment that never actually happened, "I rambled. _A lot_. I apologized profusely for disappointing Harvey and promised to never do it again and told him how stupid I felt for asking that question and I think just to shut me up, he kissed me. I didn't see it coming," Mike glances briefly at Harvey, thinking about Harvey telling them they were getting married, uses the memory to visibly show his surprise at the turn of events, "but that didn't stop me from responding. We've been together ever since."

Burrows keeps making notes as Beker asks, "Harvey, tell us about how you got engaged."

Harvey clears his throat, sits up straighter. "It was two months ago. We were supposed to go out to see _The Book of Mormon_ but we got caught up with a client and missed the first half so just skipped it completely and went back to my place. We downloaded _Wedding Crashers_ , because for some reason I've yet to discern, Mike is obsessed with Owen Wilson-"

"Hey," Mike objects. "Don't put this all on me, you know you've seen _Behind Enemy Lines_ like a dozen times."

"That's different," Harvey tells him, like he's explaining it to a small child. "That movie is gritty and full of awesome action, not idiot douches trying to get into hot women's pants."

"I could so make a comment about your wild youth here but I'll restrain myself," Mike grins and Harvey rolls his eyes at him, but there's a hint of a smile there too. Then suddenly Mike remembers where they are, can feel Beker and Burrows staring at them, and he coughs guiltily, looking away.

"Anyway, we were watching the movie and about halfway through, Mike turned to me and said-"

" _Would you ever think about marrying me_ ," Mike murmurs.

Harvey looks at him with a small smile, clearly proud of this particular outburst, and Mike's apparent soft recollection of this special moment between them. "And I said I'd do more than think about it, I'd say yes if he asked."

Mike can't seem to tear his gaze from Harvey's. The moment feels heavy, charged in a way he's never experienced. He doesn't even think about it, just reaches over and briefly squeezes Harvey's hand before returning his attention to the suits across the table.

"Mike, why have you and Harvey chosen to keep your relationship concealed? And is that a decision that was mutually agreed upon?"

"If it wasn't mutually agreed upon, believe me, it wouldn't be happening. And as for the why, there are many reasons. The most obvious of course is that Harvey is my boss and the workplace guidelines at Pearson Hardman explicitly forbid relationships between employees of different ranks. And I don't think either of us wanted to be subjected to the office gossip our relationship would produce, nor have any question of favoritism raised. Because when we're at work, our personal relationship doesn't factor in at all." Since they didn't actually have a personal relationship, Mike couldn't help but think this was the truest statement he’d made so far, but he quickly dismissed the thought for fear of it showing on his face. "Also, for me personally, I'd never been with a guy before, and I wasn't ready to deal with that in a public capacity."

Burrows looks intrigued by this. "You'd never been in a gay relationship before?" he asks, and Mike can practically see the alarm bells going off in his head.

Mike shrugs, like he doesn't have a care in the world. "What can I say? I fell in love with the person, not the gender."

Mike chances a look at Harvey. The older man is looking at him with an expression he has never seen before. If he was an objective outsider he would categorize the look being of unabashed affection, and he hopes that Beker and Burrows make the same conclusion. He gives Harvey a tentative smile, tries to communicate that he thinks things are going well, and Harvey returns it.

Mike's feeling pretty good about how things are going, until he looks back to see Beker and Burrows whispering together. They both turn and Beker says, "I think it's time for the individual interviews."

 

 

 

 

"Okay, Mr. Specter, I'm going to ask you some questions of an intimate nature. As we stated previously, we can't use our normal methods to verify your relationship so I'm going to ask you things you would only know if you and Mr. Ross are indeed in a romantic relationship. We'll also be asking you to answer questions about yourself so we can match them to Mike's answers."

"I understand," Harvey says evenly, hoping they'd covered all the mundane day to day stuff when he and Mike created their back-story.

"Who cooks?"

"I do. Mike will claim he's terrible at it, so he makes me do it. He's not, he just likes my cooking better."

"Which side of the bed do you sleep on?"

"I'm on the right and Mike's on the left."

"What did you and Mike give each other for Christmas?"

A moment of panic overcomes Harvey. They hadn't thought about Christmas. They did however make up ideas for the last birthday present they gave each other, and hoping Mike makes the same decision he does to use this answer he says, "I gave Mike a first edition of _Fantastic Mr Fox_ , he bought me flying lessons."

"Where will your wedding be held?"

"Don't know, haven’t had time to plan it yet."

"What are your favorite movies?"

"Mine is _Mississippi Burning_ , Mike's is _Clue_."

"What did you do last night?"

"Mike needed some clean clothes, so we went to his place to grab some before heading back to mine for dinner and a movie. _Star Trek_ ," Harvey adds, before Burrows can ask.

"Who gets up first in the morning?"

"Definitely me."

"Are you planning on having children?"

"We haven’t really discussed it yet," Harvey says, thinking back to that brainstorming session. "I'm open to the idea, and I think Mike will be too."

"What did you do for New Year's Eve last year?"

"We had dinner with some friends and then headed home to watch the ball drop."

"Have you met any of Mike's family?"

Harvey looks away, saddened to say, "He doesn't have any."

"Where did you go on your last vacation together?"

"We haven't gone on vacation together yet. But I'm going to visit my family next week and Mike's coming with me."

Burrows is asking his next question, but Harvey can't hear it, his ears ringing from the words that just left his mouth. Why the fuck did he say that? Yes, he had plans to go upstate, but with everything that's happened the last few days he just hadn't gotten around to calling his father to cancel. He doesn’t know why he said they were both going. Maybe it was because the previous question trigged something in him, the need to give Mike some semblance of family, but he's said it now, it's on the record and never to be taken back.

"I'm sorry, what?" Harvey asks blankly when Burrows continues to stare at him expectantly.

"What did you do for your first date?"

Harvey swallows, tries to get his head back in the game. "We went to dinner and then a midnight show at Comedy Cellar."

"What color are your bed sheets?"

Harvey thinks back to his trip to Mike's, glad he can give the correct answer. Mike hasn't seen Harvey's though, so the only thing he can think of is saying the color of the sheets in the guest room, since they're the only ones they've both seen. "Mike's are white and mine are grey."

"Do either of you have tattoos?"

"No."

"When did you know you'd fallen in love with Mike?"

That's a question Harvey didn't see coming. He shifts uncomfortably in his chair and replies, "I don't see how that's relevant."

Burrows puts his pen down, levels him with a hard stare. "It's relevant because I say it is. It's relevant because I can tell you're hiding something and I want to find out what that is. It's relevant because when I spoke to your co-workers about your relationship-"

"You did what?" Harvey exclaims. "That is a gross invasion of privacy. I told you no one knew about our relationship and I don't appreciate you outing us to our co-workers."

"Mr. Specter, if we find out that you've lied about the true nature of your relationship, then Mike will be deported and you will be jailed. I think your co-workers' opinions of you should be the least of your worries. And when I asked," Burrow consults his file for a moment, " Louis Litt and Donna Paulsen, they both said they had no idea that you were involved. Though admittedly Mr. Litt did say that although he had no prior knowledge of this relationship, he is nevertheless unsurprised to hear of it."

Harvey has no reply to that, too stunned over Louis' blasé acceptance of his and Mike's relationship. But it didn't seem like Burrows was even waiting for a response anyway, because he continued with, "I don't know if this means your relationship is real, or if you've gotten your colleagues to lie for you. But I do know something isn't right here, and I will find out what it is. So, when did you know you'd fallen in love with Mike?"

"Why do I need to answer? Mike doesn’t know, so it's not like you can verify the answer with him."

"I'm only going to ask one more time, Mr. Specter. If you refuse to answer I will end this process right now. When did you know you'd fallen in love with Mike?"

Harvey sighs. "A few months after we started working together, I found out that my old boss betrayed me. He buried evidence on some of my cases, the worst one being an innocent eighteen year old kid incorrectly sent to jail for murder. I knew I had to do whatever it took to set things right. And Mike, not only was he there for me at every step, he actually stopped me from crossing the line, from doing something I'd later regret. He went above and beyond, helped solved problems that even I couldn't. If you asked him I'm sure he'd tell you he was doing it for our client, and I'm sure he was. But that wasn't what it felt like to me. Mike doesn’t know, but I fell in love with him before we even got together."

 

 

 

 

Mike waits, each second that ticks by increasing his anxiety. He can't help but worry that something's gone wrong, that there's a reason Harvey's interview is taking longer than his, that maybe they've caught him in a lie and everything will come crumbling down around them.

He closes his eyes briefly, silently promising himself that if something's gone wrong he'll do anything and everything in his power to keep Harvey out of trouble. He doesn't deserve this, and Mike refuses to let him take the fall.

Thankfully the man himself emerges not long later, Burrows trailing behind. He looks as exhausted as Mike feels, and Mike doesn't even stop to think about it, just immediately stands and hastens to Harvey's side, wraps his fingers around his hand. If Harvey's surprised by this action he doesn't show it, just squeezes his hand in reply, Mike thinks in gratitude.

"What happens now?" Mike asks Burrows, because Harvey seems incapable of speech. Something happened in that room. Mike doesn’t know what, but it's thrown him for a loop. He just hopes it was nothing they can't overcome.

"We'll compare your answers and do some more investigating," Burrows advises. "You'll need to come in again for another meeting. Will you be back from your trip upstate by the 23rd?"

 _Upstate?_ Mike thinks, but Harvey is already nodding.

"Okay, we'll see you at one o'clock on the 23rd."

He doesn't shake their hands, just turns and walks back to his office. Mike turns to Harvey, concern and confusion shining like a beacon, but Harvey just shakes his head tersely, putting a hand to his back and steering him out of the building.

"Are you okay?" Mike asks as soon as they're outside, away from prying ears.

"Yeah," Harvey replies, and he seems to be better the further they get away from the building. By tacit agreement they start walking back to Pearson Hardman. It's probably too far to walk, but Mike doesn't care. They need this time, this space to decompress before they have to go back and be badass lawyers again. "You?"

"Fine," Mike assures him with a nod. "I think Beker believed me. I mean, we won't know until they compare our answers, but assuming we didn't make any major mistakes we might just get through this."

At which point they'll have to get married, but Mike's stomach lurches every time he thinks about getting married to Harvey, so he tries not to.

"Do you remember all your answers?" Harvey asks, and Mike can't help it, giving him a look. Harvey laughs, says, "Forget I asked. Okay, let's compare."

So they go through all the questions they were asked. Their answers all match, except for the bed sheets answer, where Mike said they were both white. Because Mike had no idea about what color Harvey's sheets were, and figured Harvey would stick with the only one they knew, which was Mike's.

"Well, all in all it could've been a lot worse. I mean, if they bring up the discrepancy we can just say that they were grey, but have faded so much they look white. It'll be fine."

Mike nods, and they continue walking together in silence. A silence it turns out is short lived when Harvey asks, "So that was the last question they asked you? The toothbrush one?"

There is something about the way he's asking, tentative yet significant, and Mike replies, "Yeah. Why? Did they ask you something else?"

Harvey shakes his head, but he also won't look at Mike. And he knows Harvey too well now, knows he's hiding something. He pulls on Harvey's elbow, makes him stop and look at him. "What did they say?" Mike asks, scared of the answer but even more afraid of not knowing.

Harvey looks at him, sighs, and says, "It's nothing. He was just trying to get a rise out of me by asking something inappropriate."

"You know, lying to me as your subordinate is one thing, but as your fiancé, just know that shit ain't gonna fly no more," Mike says, grinning.

Harvey laughs, his eyes crinkling with mirth. "Noted."

They continue their stroll, and then Mike remembers what Burrow had said as they'd left. "Um, so, Harvey. Upstate?"

Harvey groans, like he'd completely forgotten and didn't want to be reminded. "I may have accidentally told them we were going upstate to meet my family next week."

"What?" Mike exclaims, completely thrown.

"My family, we don't get to see each other a lot. Well, _I_ don't get to see them a lot. So at this time every year we commit to being together, whether it's at someone's house or on vacation or whatever. It's basically a fortnight of mandatory bonding time, but I was still going to cancel given everything that's going on," Harvey waves an arm between them, like Mike didn't already know what 'everything' meant. "I don't know why, but when he asked if we'd taken any vacations together I said we hadn't but that we were going upstate next week."

Mike lets the information roll around in his head for a bit. He can understand how it happened. Being in that interview room as they were practically interrogated, he gets how even someone as in control as Harvey could have been weakened by the moment. And he just looks so guilty, like he's sorry for putting them in this position.

And yet, all Mike can think about is them spending some time together away from work, about finally meeting Harvey's family. When he gets over the initial shock he realizes he's not annoyed, he's excited.

"So this means I'll finally get some vacation time?" Mike grins." Awesome."

Harvey smiles shyly, like he can't quite believe Mike's reaction. "And an all expense paid trip out of the city."

"You're the best fiancé ever."

Harvey practically beams. "Don't I know it?"

 

 

 

 

"So, do you need help picking out china patterns, or have you got that covered?" Donna asks as she walks into his office.

Harvey doesn't even look up from his laptop. "We're all good, thanks."

He can see Donna sit at the desk opposite him, and attempts to ignore her for as long as possible. This turns out to last for less than ten seconds, when Donna announces, "I always knew something was going on with you two."

Harvey's head snaps up at that. He wants to object, to protest that nothing's ever happened between them. But then he remembers that this is a _good_ thing, that he needs the people closest to them to believe the lie, that objecting that nothing's going on with someone he's about to marry is counterproductive. But he's still confused by her statement.

"How did you know?" he can't help but ask.

"Oh please. You think I'm going to miss the way the two of you look at each other. It's like you don't even know me, Harvey," she adds, standing to exit the office. He watches her go, still reeling, and when she turns back he takes a quick breath, tries to school his look into one of wearied indifference. "I'm happy for you. For both of you. And your secret's safe with me."

He nods in gratitude and Donna returns to her desk. Left alone with his thoughts he tries to return to his work, but his brain refuses to cooperate. All he can think about is Mike, the man he’ll apparently do anything for without a second thought. The man who fits into every aspect of his life like he was made for it. The man who waltzed into his life with nothing but a sharp mind and bright smile, and now Harvey can't picture his own life without Mike in it anymore.

But Harvey needs to stop thinking about that, now more than ever. Things are complicated enough, _were_ complicated enough before the whole fake marriage plan came into play. He doesn't need feelings he wasn’t even sure how to define messing things up any more than they already are.

So Harvey makes himself concentrate on work. He gets Donna to forward some work to Mike so he doesn't actually have to see the younger man and keeps his head down, works through the afternoon without a break, actually does some of the more menial tasks he would normally delegate to Donna and Mike just to keep the momentum going. He just needs some space, is scared that just being in the same room as Mike might crack his already fragile armor. He doesn’t need that. He needs to keep things between the two of them the same as they've always been. Because he and Mike, they're going to be in each other's lives for a long time now. He'd always known that would be the case, that even if they no longer worked together that they'd always be friends and remain in each other's lives, but this is different. And he doesn't want to make this harder or more complicated than it needs to be, for either of them.

As such, when evening rolls around he's more exhausted than he can remember being in a long time. Mike enters his office around eight, and he stops in the middle of the room and plaintively asks, "Can we go home now?"

Any plans he had to try and compartmentalize himself from the situation crumble to ash as soon as he hears that word. _Home_. It sits warm in his stomach, and he can't help the way his lips quirk upwards. Mike returns the smile, and Harvey stands and begins packing up.

 

 

 

 

The weird thing about hanging out with Harvey at his place is that it's not weird at all.

Mike loves his own apartment, loves having a space that's just his, likes having sole control of the TV remote and the ability to come and go as he pleases. And being at Harvey's is different. He and Harvey argue over what to watch, and the kitchen, which is actually quite large, feels really cramped when the two of them move around it as they cook dinner, and the sheer space of the condo gives him some kind of reverse claustrophobia after the years in his tiny apartment.

But despite their relationship thus far being predominately confined to a work context, and despite the potential for awkwardness over their nonexistent romantic relationship, it feels more normal than Mike was expecting. There's no tentativeness, from either of them. Mike treats Harvey's place like it's his home, and Harvey openly welcomes it.

All afternoon Mike was planning on asking Harvey about why he was shutting him out today. Mike knew something was wrong because they've been working together for two years, and Harvey hasn't given him work through Donna once in the last fifteen months, so Harvey was clearly avoiding him. Harvey had seemed fine when they returned from their Immigration interview this morning, so he honestly had no idea what the problem was. But figuring they needed to keep up the whole 'pretending to be hiding a fake relationship' façade, he thought it was just easier to wait until they were home to discuss it. But Harvey's been so content and relaxed since they walked through the door, Mike can't bring himself to ask.

So after they eat and Harvey wins the TV argument (which is a surprise to exactly no one), Mike settles on the couch as Harvey queues up the pilot episode of _Battlestar Galactica_ (because he'd insisted, "I'm not sure I can be engaged to someone who has never seen this piece of tele-visual majesty."). Mike doesn't bother fighting, only insists that Harvey makes him popcorn to go with it, which the older man does without complaint. And when it's over Mike admits to a beaming Harvey, "Okay, you're right, it's totally amazing."

They watch the next couple of episodes, Mike asking questions and Harvey steadfastly refusing to answer any. When they get to the end of the disc Mike wants to keep going, but Harvey refuses.

"Come on, some of us need our beauty sleep. We can keep watching tomorrow night."

Mike reluctantly consents, and after bidding each other goodnight, Mike heads to the guest room and readies for bed. Only, he can't help but wonder if this is still a guest room or whether he can claim it as his own. And he realizes that he and Harvey never really talked about what was going to happen next. Everything happened so fast, they didn't really stop to make a plan for everything going forward, just focused on meeting each challenge as it arose. But the Immigration thing is dealt with for now and he and Harvey are heading off for a vacation next week (which makes him equally anxious and excited whenever he thinks about it), but still they haven't really talked about what happens after that.

And suddenly Mike can't wait, needs to know where this is heading. Fear of the unknown suddenly floods through him, and it's not that he's scared of what new twists and turns this whole situation with Immigration will take, it’s that all of a sudden he's terrified that by not planning ahead, not thinking about what comes next, that all of this will end. Because as ridiculous as it sounds, despite all the stresses, the last couple of days have been kind of amazing. He feels closer to Harvey than ever before, and it's not just the proximity of him sleeping in the next bedroom over. From the moment they met, Mike basically tried to cajole any affection he could from the older man. Which is kinda weird, now that he thinks about it. Strange that he was so insistent and demanding of Harvey's attention and affection from the beginning. But now that he has it, even if it's not completely real, he doesn’t want to lose it.

So after changing into his pajamas Mike tentatively walks across the hallway and softly knocks on Harvey's bedroom door. Harvey's call for him to come in is immediate, and when Mike opens the door he sees Harvey sitting up in bed, leaning back against the headboard, his lap covered by a thick blanket. He has an open book in his hands, which he puts aside to ask, "Everything okay?".

Mike nods, slowly moving into the room. Without knowing what else to do he tentatively sits on the edge of Harvey's bed, just by his feet. Harvey regards him patiently as Mike tries to figure out what to say.

"So, we've never really talked about how this is going to work. Long term, that is. Like, when do we start officially living together? When do we get married? Are we allowed to see other people after the wedding? Do we ever tell people at work about our relationship?"

The questions just tumble out of Mike's mouth, and he finds himself getting more and more worked up the longer he talks. He's self aware enough to realize that this is reality sinking in, and he probably would've kept babbling had Harvey not sat up and stopped the rambling with a hand to his arm.

Mike sucks in a deep breath, and Harvey crosses his legs and shifts a bit closer to Mike, his fingertips trailing lightly up and down his arm in a soothing motion. Seeing Harvey sitting there, right _there_ , having Mike babble at the foot of his bed and Harvey being nothing but concerned for him, he realizes that despite the fact that this whole thing was Harvey's idea, the entire time Mike's been waiting for him to back out, to realize that this was a mistake. And weirdly it's the two of them sitting here in Harvey's bedroom, no sound other than their breathing, that makes him realize that Harvey's not going to. He's never going to walk away from this.

"We're really getting married," Mike breathes, kinda wondrous, looking Harvey right in the eyes and still expecting to see fear or uncertainty.

But Harvey simply smiles, his hand increasing its pressure just slightly, and says, "We're really getting married."

 

 

 

 

Harvey has woken, availed himself of his building's gym facilities for three quarters of an hour, showered, dressed in his suit and has begun eating his cooked breakfast by the time Mike strolls out into the living area, still clad in his pajamas.

"Morning," Mike mumbles, running a hand through messy bed hair before he starts digging around the pantry. He looks at the selection and then pulls a face at Harvey. "Why is everything in here so damn healthy?" he practically moans.

Harvey laughs, says, "Well, you can do the shopping next and get whatever sugary junk you want. Even though as your partner I feel like it's my duty to point out that that shit will kill you."

Mike smiles shyly before returning to the pantry and pulling out a bran cereal and preparing himself breakfast. They eat in silence, standing in the middle of the kitchen, but it's not awkward. It feels normal. It feels _easy_.

When Mike's finished eating he puts his bowl into the sink and says, "I can be ready in twenty. Will you wait for me?"

Harvey is so distracted by the tentatively hopeful tone in Mike's voice he almost forgets to answer. But then he nods, and Mike flees to his bedroom to ready for the day.

They leave half an hour later, and when Ray sees them exit the building he hops from the car out into the crisp morning air to greet them both. He makes no comment about Mike's presence, but Harvey doesn't think he imagines the subtle wink Ray drops him before he slides into the warm car.

The drive to work is easy, and when they arrive at Pearson Hardman Mike turns to him but before he can even ask Harvey says, "Yes, you can come work in my office today."

"Thank you," Mike breathes, briefly squeezing Harvey's arm before hurrying to his desk to get his things.

Harvey's just settled in by the time Mike returns. He moves straight to the table in the corner of the office and sets everything up, plugs in his laptop and organizes the files exactly how he wants them. Harvey watches on bemused, and when Mike finally has everything exactly where he wants it, Harvey drawls, "Ready now?" Mike just grins in return.

The rest of the day goes along easily enough. Harvey is even able to forget the drama of the last few days once or twice. Things between him and Mike are good, the best they've been since this whole thing started. Maybe even better than they've ever been. He thinks perhaps yesterday was some kind of turning point, where they both realized that this was happening, that it was real, and with that acknowledgement came an acceptance that allowed them to move forward, to settle into these new circumstances, to be comfortable with each other again now that they're both on the same page.

It's getting late, and Harvey thinks it might nearly be time to head home, when Jessica walks into his office. She stops short when she sees Mike. The table is practically covered in Mike's work, and there are a couple of empty Red Bull cans on his desk, so it's glaringly obvious that Mike's been there all day. Jessica turns her gaze to Harvey for a moment, and he's surprised by the depth of her annoyance. Then she turns and walks back out without a word.

"Shit," Harvey murmurs, running a hand over his face. He looks across to Mike. The younger man looks guilty, apologetic, but this isn't his fault, and Harvey tells him as much. "It's not about you, Mike. This is about me and Jessica."

"It _is_ my fault," Mike says weakly, and Harvey shakes his head before he can proceed further with that train of thought.

"No, it's really not."

Harvey realizes his tactic of avoidance with Jessica has essentially backfired, that by ignoring her for the last few days he's made things worse. This wasn't his intention. He only wanted some space for him and Mike to acclimate to their new circumstances. And yeah, part of it was preservation, because he didn't want to deal with her lectures over what he did. But it was also about protecting Jessica too, because the less she knows the better.

Harvey sighs, suddenly feeling much older than his years. "You should head home," Harvey tells Mike. "I'll deal with Jessica and meet you there."

Mike nods. "You hungry? I could make us some dinner..."

Harvey smiles, somehow incredibly feeling better already. "That'd be great. I'll see you at home."

Mike nods at him before he walks out of the office. He finds Jessica in her office, sitting on the couch, clearly deep in thought. He taps lightly on the glass door before he enters, closing the door behind him before joining Jessica on the couch.

He waits in silence. He knows she'll speak whenever she's ready. And she's pissed at him, so she's probably going to drag this out as long as possible just to make him squirm.

"No matter which way I look at this," Jessica says at last, looking up to face him for the first time, "no matter how I try and rationalize it, I just don't understand, Harvey. My gut tells me that you're lying about your relationship with Mike, that you're just doing this to protect him. I mean, I'd be lying if I said I've never wondered if your relationship wasn't one hundred percent professional, but even so I still can't quite believe it. And if you are lying, are you willing to see this through to the end, to lie to the American government and risk everything for Mike? But then when I look at it from the other angle, where you aren't lying about your relationship, then that means that before this week you _were_ lying to me, every day, for months, _years_. So either you were lying to me then or you're lying to me now. Which is it?"

And the thing is, Harvey loves Jessica. She saved him from a life he didn’t want, helped make him the man he is today. Everything he has he owes to her, and through some bizarre twist of fate that also includes Mike. She's his family, and nothing about this situation is okay. He doesn't like lying to her, doesn't like shutting her out of his life. But he refuses to burden her with this, and when the choices are lying to her versus getting her to lie for him, it's an easy decision to make.

"I didn't know how to tell you," he admits softly. "This thing with Mike and me, it's real and it's important. But it also took me completely by surprise, and I was scared of it ending, didn't want to jinx anything by telling anyone else. It felt safe, the two of us in our own little bubble where no one could find or hurt us. And when I realized that we were going to last, I still couldn’t tell you. The rules here are strict, and with good reason. I didn't want to be put in a situation where Mike and I could be forced apart because we make a great team, do a lot of good work, earn you a lot of money. I didn't want to risk that."

"You still should've told me," Jessica says, and Harvey feels the relief flood through him at her seeming to believe the lie. "We could've figured something out."

"I didn't want to put you in that position. Either you let us remain working together when you knew the truth, which wouldn't endear any of us to the other partners for the favoritism you would've shown me, or you split us up and reassign Mike to another partner or the associate pool. We wanted to keep working together. I'm not sorry I didn’t tell you the truth, but I am sorry I lied to you."

Jessica breathes out a quick laugh at Harvey's contradiction. She's used to his stubbornness now, his singular way of thinking, the way he attempts to placate her while still looking out for his own interests.

"Okay then," Jessica says, turning her body to face him and easing back into the couch. "Let's say I believe you."

"Do you?"

"Jury's still out. But for arguments sake, let's say that I do. Tell me. Tell me the truth about you."

"What do you mean?"

"Let's pretend there are no fraternization rules. Hell, let's pretend we don't even work together, that we're just two friends talking about our lives. Tell me about you and Mike the way you would if I wasn't your boss and you weren't worried about your jobs."

Harvey thinks about it for a moment. He could tell her the narrative they'd fabricated for Immigration. He's not worried about her trying to poke holes in his story like they were. He's more worried about what happens afterwards. "If I tell you-"

"Whatever you say doesn't leave this room," Jessica assures him, the voice not of his boss but his friend.

So Harvey tells her all the lies he knows so well that sometimes he has to remind himself that they didn't actually happen.

 

 

 

 

Mike's always been jealous of Harvey's near impeccable timing, but he pushes the thought aside as Harvey walks through the front door just as he's finishing up their dinner. Harvey greets him but continues walking to the bedroom, re-emerging in his casual clothes just as Mike is pouring the risotto into two bowls.

"How'd it go?" Mike asks, slightly tentative.

"Fine," Harvey replies dismissively, taking the bowl with a grateful smile and heading to the lounge.

Mike follows, worried, and when they settle into the couch Harvey says, "Wanna keep going with _Battlestar_?" He reaches for the remote before Mike even has a chance to answer, and so Mike stops him, reaching over and grasping his hand in his before he's taken hold of the object.

"Harvey," Mike says, voice slightly forceful. The older man looks over at him, and he looks slightly annoyed, but Mike won't let go. He keeps his fingers wrapped around Harvey's hand and says, "Talk to me. I know we're not actually involved or anything, but I'm still your friend. I care about you, and I can tell something's wrong. I know you're used to keeping everything to yourself, but you have me now. So please, talk to me."

He lets go at last, gives Harvey a moment of space. If he decides he still doesn’t want to talk, then fine, Mike will respect that. But he needs Harvey to know that he's here, for whatever he needs, whenever he needs it.

"Telling Jessica," Harvey says, his voice low, " _lying_ to Jessica, it was harder than I thought it'd be. I don't regret it," he hastily adds, like he thinks Mike is about to apologize once again for getting them into this situation (and he's right, so Mike remains silent). "This is what needs to be done, and I'm okay with that. And it's not that we tell each other every aspect of our lives or anything. But I've never lied to her like this before."

"Apart from hiring me to begin with," Mike points out, and he means it in a joking way, wants to lighten the mood, but it doesn't work. His voice is too heavy, too overwhelmed with everything Harvey is doing for him.

"Mike, whatever happens, I'll never regret any of my decisions when it comes to you."

And he just sounds so earnest that Mike believes him. He really does. As much as he wants to offer Harvey the chance to get out of this, because he never wanted to compromise the relationships Harvey has had for the decades before they met, he can't do it. Maybe he's selfish, wanting Harvey like this, but he can't help it. So he ignores the feelings in favor of focusing on the knowledge that even if he offered an out to Harvey, that he would never take it. Harvey's in this for real. And so is Mike.

He wants to tell Harvey that he's sorry for complicating his relationship with Jessica. He wants to say that he's sorry for getting them into this situation. He wants to tell him how grateful he is, that he has Harvey in his life, that Harvey chose to do this for him. He wants to say how much it means to him that even after all this Harvey's still glad Mike came crashing into his hotel room that day.

But the words seem too small. He wants them to move forward, no uncertainty and no regrets. Whatever happens, whether this plan works or not, he wants to commit to it, commit to Harvey and everything he's doing for him.

So what he actually ends up saying is, "What are you doing this weekend?"

Harvey screws up his face at this seemingly random question. "Uh, nothing planned. Why?"

Mike bites his lower lip briefly, looks away as he asks, "I know we somehow keep getting sidetracked whenever the topic comes up, but I'm gonna have to move in here eventually, right? So I figure, why bother putting it off. If it's okay with you, I mean, I thought I might move in this weekend. Like officially."

Mike doesn’t know why he's so nervous asking for something that they both know is going to happen sooner or later. But it still feels like a massive step, and maybe he should've waited for Harvey to offer. But then Harvey smiles at him, and says, "Well, I guess our weekend's not free anymore."

 

 

 

 

It's surreal to think that at this time last week Harvey was sitting at the best table in one of the city's finest restaurants, opposite a beautiful woman with flowing dark hair and legs that went for days, because right now he's relaxing in a corner booth at a hole in the wall restaurant, eating really bad food, laughing his head off as his fiancé recounts the story of the night he and his girlfriend got busted skinny dipping by the cops, complete with the ridiculous story he came up with to explain just what in the hell they were doing there.

What a difference seven days makes.

It still feels a bit bizarre when he thinks about it, how much his life has changed in such a short amount of time. But Harvey is also self aware enough to know that he infinitely prefers this. As fun as it is spending the evening with a beautiful stranger, a whole world of possibilities open to him, this is so much better. Mike is one of the few people on Earth who really knows him. He's one of his best friends, one of the people that Harvey cares for more than he will ever admit, and it's _better_. Everything is better when you're with someone you know and trust, and Harvey knows that when presented with the choice of a night on the town with a hot date or a quiet night alone with Mike, he'll choose Mike without a moment's hesitation.

Mike insists on paying. He surprises Harvey with his vehemence, so Harvey lets him, heads outside to hail a cab in the fall rain while Mike settles the tab. When Mike climbs in beside him they head home and spend the rest of the evening going through another disc of _Battlestar Gallactica_.

Harvey normally keeps to his gym schedule, even on the weekend, but when Saturday morning rolls around and his alarm goes off he thinks _fuck it_ and goes back to sleep. Which means, for the first time, Mike is actually up before him. Harvey stumbles out into the lounge to find Mike sitting at the table, eating breakfast and reading a newspaper while one of Harvey's records plays softly in the background.

Something in Harvey's chest hurts at the sight, but he tries his best to ignore it.

Mike smiles when he looks up and sees him. He tells Harvey to sit down, and for no other reason other than curiosity, he does. Mike disappears into the kitchen, and Harvey can see him move around the space, pouring a glass of juice and moving between the stove and toaster and refrigerator before returning to the table, placing a plate of scrambled eggs and English muffin in front of him.

"Thanks," Harvey says, surprised.

Mike shrugs, like it was no big deal that he made Harvey breakfast. "Big day. Gonna need lots of energy."

"So what's the plan?" Harvey asks, before he starts eating his breakfast.

Mike shrugs. "Figured we could just head to mine and just jump right in. I don't really have a lot of stuff, and a lot of it can be thrown because, let's face it, your stuff is much nicer than mine. I say we just pick a room each, decide what's staying and what's going, and dive right in."

A few hours later, when they are standing in the middle of Mike's apartment and deciding what is going to be kept and what's going to be thrown (or donated, as the case may be), Harvey realizes that Mike is looking at this long term. Not once has he mentioned putting his belongings into storage for when they eventually get divorced, for when this whole charade inevitably ends.

There are three possibilities that come to mind. Either he thinks a) they're going to be living together indefinitely, b) that when he moves out he'll just buy all new belongings, or c) he just hasn't thought it through at all.

Knowing Mike it's probably Option C, and Harvey knows he should bring this up, maybe put some of Mike's furniture into storage so he doesn't have to start all over again when he eventually moves out. But for some reason he can't bring himself to do it. The words get stuck on his tongue and all he can do is just nod when Mike points at the things he wants to bring back to Harvey's and help him pack up all his belongings, remaining mute the whole time.

Mike brings surprisingly little with him. His bike is stored in the garage below Harvey's building. The majority of his clothes fit into the closet in the guest room (Mike's room now, he supposes), with the small overflow making its way to Harvey's walk-in. His toiletries take up residence in the bathroom, separate from Harvey's in his own en suite. His DVDs and CDs mix in with Harvey's in the entertainment unit, his TV is mounted on the wall in his bedroom, some of his more sentimental belongings scatter themselves across the apartment – the most obvious being the panda picture which Harvey hangs in their kitchen – and that's pretty much it.

It only takes a day. Harvey pays out Mike's lease with his landlord while Mike is dealing with the movers. They drop the furniture and appliances they're donating to a charity not far from where Mike lived. Mike unpacks most of his belongings himself while Harvey prepares dinner, Harvey helping him when their dinner is cooking in the oven, and then it's done.

Mike has officially moved in.

 

 

 

 

It takes until mid afternoon for Mike to realize.

He looks over at Harvey, who is eased comfortably into the couch, feet on the coffee table, open bag of potato chips in his lap. A week ago he'd never seen Harvey like this, so relaxed and at ease with the world. It was clearly his most relaxed self, the version he left at home every day when he went into Pearson Hardman and assumed the mantle of _Harvey Specter, badass lawyer and best damn closer in the city._

But the thing is, he must have a life of his own outside of Pearson Hardman. Mike knew that he did, that he went to events and bars and had a varied social (who are we kidding, _sex_ ) life. And yet, this whole week, he's been hanging with Mike. He hasn't seen him so much as text someone outside of work hours, and it occurs to Mike that maybe he's here just for him, that in any other circumstance Harvey wouldn't be spending this much time shut inside. And he doesn’t want to be a burden for Harvey, any more than he already is anyway. So when the episode they are currently watching ends Mike says, "If you have other things you'd rather be doing I'm totally fine."

Harvey turns to him, forehead crinkled with confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, I figure you don’t normally spend your Sundays like this," Mike says, waving an arm to point out the junk food on the table and the blanket on their laps and the TV which is scrolling through the episode credits. "I can't imagine you've ever spent your entire Sunday mainlining a TV show before now. If you're doing this just because you think I want you to then you don't have to. I mean, not that I don't want you to hang out with me. Because I do. But if you'd rather be doing something else, you know, going out with friends or whatever it is you normally do, you don't have to stay just for me."

Mike really wants to just burrow under the covers and hide in embarrassment. He hated doing that, envied Harvey's perpetual elegance when Mike got tongue tied and lost for words more often than he cared to admit. He really needs to think before he opens his mouth to prevent saying stupid things just because he hadn't thought about how best to phrase his statement.

But Harvey doesn't look at him like he's an idiot. He doesn't seem at all annoyed by Mike's rambling. If anything it's like he finds his uncertainty endearing. And he says softly, "When have you ever known me to do anything I didn't want to do?" before turning his attention back to the television like the whole conversation never happened.

Mike lets the grin overtake his face, because Harvey's focused on the screen in front of them and can't see. He doesn't know why it means so much, that Harvey could be doing anything in the world and all he wants to do is hang with Mike. But he feels a warmth spread throughout his body and he settles deeper into the couch as the next episode starts up.

 

 

 

 

Gordon Specter lives in the quiet hamlet of Clinton Corners, which gives Mike the two hour drive (probably longer with the Columbus Day traffic) from Manhattan to grill Harvey about his family.

"Come on, Harvey," Mike whines when Harvey tries to ignore Mike's pestering. "I have to know something about your family other than their names. We're supposed to be together, remember. You're supposed to have spoken to me about them, _several times_ , over the last year."

"I get that," Harvey tells him. "I just don't know where to start."

"Well, let's put it this way. I need more than 'my father's name is Gordon and he's a musician, and my brother's name is Nathaniel and he's a teacher'."

Harvey exhales slowly. It feels wrong to have this conversation here, sitting in the Lexus they rented which smells of leather and pine, driving up the Taconic with Mike's ridiculous music filtering throughout the car. But Mike's right. If they're going to sell this relationship he can't go into the situation blind.

"My dad's a sax player. He's amazing, and it's not just familial love saying that. He played with everyone, all the jazz greats. And they all loved him. He was on the road a lot when I was a kid, which obviously upset me at the time but I get now. He's the most understanding, protective, genial, intelligent man I think I've ever met."

"What about your mom?"

Harvey takes a moment to decide what to say. He doesn't want to go into all the gory details, so he just says, "They divorced when I was nineteen and Nate was fourteen. I haven't seen her since."

He keeps his eyes focused on the road, all the better to avoid Mike's surprised stare which still manages to burn into the side of his face. But Mike, despite Harvey's protests that he reads books and not people, can obviously sense Harvey's discomfort at the topic, so he doesn’t press his curiosity further.

"Okay, so tell me more about your brother."

"He lives just outside of Hudson, so we don't get to see each other as much as we'd like. He teaches high school English, so he's only really free during the school holidays, and since he's got kids of his own the only time we really see each other is during our annual catch up. But we email a lot, and Skype a bit so I can still see my nephew and niece."

"How old are his kids?"

"Owen is four and Maisie is nearly three."

"Is he married?"

"Divorced. It was finalized about a year ago now."

Mike stops his questions after that, and Harvey wants to revel in the silence but he's just suspicious of it. He quickly glances at Mike to see his expression is thoughtful.

Against his better judgement, Harvey asks, "What is it?"

"Nothing," Mike says, but Harvey sees through the lie.

"Mike?"

He can hear Mike sigh. "It's just, your parents and your brother are both divorced. I mean, I lost my parents when I was young, and that sucks, but at least I know that they were happy and loved each other. But your brother and your dad, they don't have that. It just makes me kinda sad."

Harvey keeps his eyes on the road. He won't say it, but it makes him sad too. He knows how much his father and brother had loved their wives, had seen them love so wholeheartedly, and still they couldn't make it work (admittedly for vastly different reasons). And now Harvey was going to become just like them, relegated to another divorce statistic.

Mike stops his questions after that, and Harvey's glad. The closer they inch towards his dad's home the more anxious he feels. He's not worried about his family and Mike not getting along. They'll love Mike, Harvey can almost guarantee it. But therein lies the problem. They're going to love him and be happy for Harvey and it's all a lie.

Harvey knows it's a necessary evil, that to save Mike (and himself, at this point) no one can know the truth. But his family has always been his safe place. They're the only people in the world he can be himself with, doesn't have to maintain the image he presents to the world back in Manhattan. And he feels like introducing Mike to his family, combining those two worlds, it's like tempting fate. He feels like he's walking down a road of no return, and he doesn't know what's going to happen but he can't help but brace himself anyway.

"Harvey?" Mike asks softly, after a near half hour of a not uncomfortable silence, and Harvey is secretly proud that he's managed to go this long before continuing with his questions.

"Yeah?"

"What have you told your family about me?"

Harvey's glad that he's driving, that he has something to keep his eyes focused away from Mike's face. He can't look at him, not when Mike sounds like that, tentative and hopeful and nervous all at once.

"I told them that I was bringing someone important home to meet everyone. I was hoping the sheer shock of such a statement would render Nate speechless, or that he'd be too busy flailing with excitement he wouldn't ask any questions, but unfortunately he immediately demanded to know who it was and how we met and all that crap. I literally said 'his name is Mike' and because I'd mentioned you before he realized who it was."

"You'd mentioned me before?" Mike says, and Harvey can hear him perking up.

"Of course. Who else am I going to complain to about my new idiot associate other than my brother?" Harvey says, but his smile softens the words.

"Did you tell them about the whole, you know, marriage thing?" Mike asks, eloquent as always.

But Harvey shakes his head. "Figured that would be a conversation best had in person."


	2. Chapter 2

"Are you kidding me?" Mike breathes as Harvey drives up the long driveway and pulls up in front of a large house. It's a two storey, clad in grey stone with a deep front porch. When Mike gets out of the car and looks around all he can see is green grass and blue skies.

Mike had always assumed that Harvey didn't come from money. Which some might say is an odd assumption to make, given Harvey's wealth and the ease with which he moved amongst New York's elite. But Mike also knew, from the occasional statement dropped here and there, that he had worked his way up on his own power, with Jessica and not his father his guiding hand.

But looking around now, Mike begins to question everything he knows.

"Your dad lives here?" Mike asks, rather stupidly given the face Harvey pulls in response. Harvey opens the trunk and they both pull out their bags.

"No, he's just squatting," Harvey says as he rolls his eyes, like the thick sarcasm wasn't enough. "Of course he lives here."

"I just didn't realize you came from money."

"I don't, not really. Musicians like my dad didn't make a lot back then, but we got by okay when I was growing up. But like I said, my father's smart. He's managed to do well for himself, despite the economy. We didn't grow up here."

Mike is still trying to take everything in when he follows Harvey up the porch steps. The door is unlocked, so Harvey walks straight in, holding the door open for Mike.

"Dad?" Harvey calls. Mike just stands awkwardly in the entryway as Harvey sheds his jacket.

Mike can feel the nerves skitter along his skin now that he's here, but he doesn’t have long to wallow in the feeling. Gordon Specter strides into the room, face beaming. Mike barely has time to take in his features (he's slightly taller than Harvey, with salt and pepper hair, blue-gray eyes, and the same crinkles around his eyes that Harvey has) before Harvey meets him and they throw their arms around each other in a warm embrace.

Mike watches for a few moments as the two men greet each other in soft murmurs. It hurts his chest in a way he can't explain to see them together like this. He can practically see Harvey relaxing before his eyes, and he feels a kind of honor at getting to see Harvey like this. And then there's the familiar pang he gets when he sees people interact with their parents. It was a privilege robbed from him too early in life, and though he would never begrudge anyone for having what he can't, it still makes him slightly melancholy.

"Dad," Harvey says, stepping out of their embrace and turning to Mike. "This is Mike Ross."

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Specter," Mike says, holding out his hand, and he pointedly ignores Harvey's look of amusement.

Harvey's father just laughs, shaking his hand warmly. "Please, call me Gordon. And it's nice to meet you too."

"Nate here yet?" Harvey asks.

"No, not yet."

"The man lives forty-five minutes away, how is it possible we beat him here?"

"Well, in his defence, he has two children to wrangle and you don't. Why don't you show Mike around and get settled before they arrive."

"Okay," Harvey says, heading for the stairs. Mike, at a loss for any other option, slowly follows. "Usual room?"  
Gordon nods. "Everything's all set up."

Mike follows Harvey up the stairs, where he crosses the landing and passes several rooms as they walk through the corridor to the last door on the right. He opens the door and Mike follows him inside. The room is a comfortable size, large enough for a queen bed, a couple of dressers and a wing back chair which faces the window, but not much else. Mike instinctively makes his way across the room and looks outside. He can see the front of the property, all the way to the front gate and beyond. It's beautiful.

He turns back to see Harvey standing awkwardly by the bed. There are a couple of piles of towels resting on the foot of the bed, and the penny drops.

To be honest he hadn't even thought about the sleeping arrangements (which, now that he realizes it, is actually kinda weird). But they're both grown men. This doesn’t have to be weird if they don't make it so.

"You sleep on the right, yeah?" Mike asks, as if he doesn't already know.

"Yeah." Harvey nods slowly, like he's unsure of where this is going.

"Awesome, I'm totally a leftie anyway." And he puts his bag on his side of the bed before returning to the view, leaving Harvey to deal with the situation in private.

But Harvey says his name, and looking back Mike can see he's just followed Mike's action by leaving his bag on the bed. "Come on, I'll show you around."

Mike follows as Harvey gives him the tour. This side of the upstairs floor accommodates three bedrooms (Harvey and Mike's, Nate's, and Owen and Maisie's) while the other side is taken up by the communal bathroom and Gordon's bedroom and en suite. They head downstairs and Mike trails along, wide eyed the whole time, as Harvey shows him around the two living areas (the larger of the two looks to be used more often, the other seems to be more formal with a small piano in the corner, and Harvey refers to it as "the music room"), the dining room, bathroom, large kitchen/breakfast room, and sun room. Mike doesn’t know how to describe the interior. The best he can think of is 'modern country', with the cream colors and mixed textiles. Nothing really matches, but everything still works together. It's not sparse and streamlined like Harvey's place is, it's more like his own (old) apartment: comfortable and homey.

They head out through the kitchen door to the backyard. There is a patio area, which has clearly been set up for entertaining, with the outdoor table and chairs and bricked in barbecue and fireplace, with a few flowers and plants along the exterior house wall. Beyond the patio there is flat green lawn before the land becomes thick with trees. They are tall, the few leaves that remain in varying autumn shades.

"Is all of this your dad's?" Mike asks, wondrous, as he stares at the view.

"Yup. He bought it about ten years ago."

"How big is it?"

"Uh, there's about two acres of land, give or take."

"It's perfect." Mike murmurs, and when he looks to Harvey it's to find the older man smiling at him.

The moment is broken by the sound of a car horn, and Harvey turns back to the house.

"Guess Nate's here. Come on."

They walk around the house to the front to see Nate lifting Maisie out of the car as Owen runs up the porch steps to Gordon, screaming, "Poppy, Poppy!" the whole time. Gordon laughs and crouches down to receive Owen's hug. Mike can see Maisie wriggling in Nate's arms as he pulls her out of the car, and as soon as he puts her down she's off like a shot, rushing up the steps and into Gordon's open arms.

Nate closes the door as he sees Harvey and Mike come around the corner. He grins, heading over and greeting Harvey with a handshake that quickly evolves into a hug. It's brief but warm, Nate pulling away and advancing on Mike with a grin.

"You must be Mike," he says, and Mike makes a conscious effort not to take a small step backwards.

"You must be Nate," he replies, and then Nate is there, shaking his hand.

"I'm very happy to meet you at last."

Mike doesn’t know how respond to that, the _at last_ ringing in his ears. His mouth supplies a, "Likewise," before Nate heads back to the car.

Harvey turns to the kids and yells, "Hey, where's my hug?"

Owen and Maisie turn, and immediately run down the stairs, excitedly crying, "Uncle Harvey!" Mike can't help but grin as Harvey scoops up Owen, kissing his face repeatedly, making the young boy squirm. Owen wipes his face as Harvey puts him down. Harvey remains crouched as Maisie throws herself at him, her small arms going around his neck. Harvey squeezes tightly, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head.

"How are you, are you good, baby?" Harvey asks, and Mike has never even pictured anything like this before and it should be ridiculous but it's not. Maisie tells Harvey some story that includes Dora the Explorer and Harvey listens intently, nodding along and asking her questions which she answers with enthusiasm.

"Who're you?" Owen asks, and Mike tears his gaze from Harvey and Maisie to see Owen looking at him.

Harvey comes to his side and addresses the kids, saying, "Owen, Maisie, this is my friend Mike. He's come to visit with me."

"Hi!" Maisie beams up at him, and Mike smiles at her.

"Hey, you wanna play with us?" Owen asks, and the completely unabashed way he asks surprises Mike.

"Yeah, you wanna play hide and seek with us?" Maisie asks, like it's the greatest idea ever.

"Hey you two," Nate says, coming over to them. "Give Mike a minute."

"No, it's fine," Mike says. "I mean, if it's okay with you," he says to Nate, because they've seriously just met and if he doesn’t know the protocol.

"Yeah, of course," Nate says. "But no playing in the house," he tells the kids, "not while we're unpacking. If you want to play you can play outside."

Owen and Maisie bounce excitedly on their heels. "Okay, daddy," Maisie says, while Owen takes off for the backyard, calling, "Chase me. Come and chase me."

Once the kids have gone Harvey steps closer to Mike and says, "You don't have to do this, you know."

"It's fine. I could do with some fresh air after the drive. And besides, you should catch up with your family," he says significantly, and he can tell Harvey understands his meaning.

"Okay," Harvey nods, and Mike gives Nate a brief smile before heading back around the house.

 

 

 

 

"Need a hand?" Harvey asks, nodding towards the car, and Nate nods.

It takes a few trips between the car and the upstairs bedrooms to get everything inside and in the right place. It never fails to astound Harvey how much stuff kids need. Once done, they join Gordon in the kitchen, who hands them both a coffee before the three Specter men sit down at the small table.

They chat amiably for a few minutes, catching up on the everyday stuff. Nate tells them about work ("trying to get the kids interested in F. Scott Fitzgerald is like pulling teeth") and his kids ("if I have to watch one more episode of Dora the Explorer I might scream"). Harvey asks Gordon if he's written anything lately, and Gordon tell them that he's been working on a few different pieces, each in varying stages of completion.

Gordon asks Harvey about work, but there's a smirk in his voice which means he's really asking about Mike. Harvey drinks the dregs of his coffee in order to stall, because he doesn't know how to tell them what he needs to tell them, only Nate is a sneaky bastard and uses that opportunity to say, "Mike looks like he's having fun."

Harvey turns to look out the back. He can see Mike practically running in circles, being chased by his niece and nephew who are laughing the whole time, before Mike abruptly turns and begins chasing them. They're too far away to hear but Harvey can tell the kids are squealing with delight when Mike catches up to them but allows them to run out of his grasp.

Harvey only realizes he's smiling like an idiot when Nate laughs. "What?" he demands.

"Nothing," Nate replies, hands up in surrender, but he's still chuckling. "It's just, I never thought I'd see that look on your face."

Harvey wants to ask exactly what look he's referring to, but decides he probably doesn’t want to know. So instead he returns to Gordon's original question. "Work is going well. We just won a fifty million wrongful death suit and-"

"Come on, Harvey," Nate interrupts. "Skip all the boring stuff and tell us about Mike."

"Ugh, fine," Harvey grouses, but it's all in good fun.

Gordon gets up to refill the coffee mugs, so Harvey waits until he's sitting back down to say it. He only wants to go through this once, and he probably should've thought of how to say this but he hasn't. So he just doesn’t think and starts talking.

"Obviously you know we're together, but there's something I didn't tell you. Mike and I, we're getting married."

Gordon and Nate are rendered silent, and Harvey doesn’t blame them. Given that up until a few days ago they didn’t even know he was seeing someone it must be a hell of a shock. Because they thought bringing Mike home to meet everyone was a big deal, since he's never done that before with anyone. He can't imagine that they thought things had progressed this far.

"You're getting married?" Nate says sceptically, and Harvey can't tell whether it's because he's surprised that Harvey's going to make the commitment, or that Harvey still wants to, given everything that happened with their parents and then later, Nate and Jemma.

"Yeah," Harvey says, and he leaves it at that because he doesn’t want to have to explain this.

Harvey can tell Nate is about to say something, but their father gets there first. "Well," Gordon says, "I'm not going to lie and say I'm not surprised. Because I think you know you've shocked the hell out of us with this. And we need to have a serious talk about communication one of these days, since less than a week ago we didn't even know you were seeing someone, let alone _your subordinate_." Harvey looks sheepishly at Gordon, tries to show his remorse. When he'd told his father about Mike, Gordon didn't care that he was with a man or even a colleague, but that it was someone who Harvey was a direct supervisor of and how it was taking advantage. Harvey had assured him it wasn't like that at all, that what they had was real, and he thinks Gordon understands even if he's still slightly disapproving. "So the only question that really matters is: are you happy?"

Harvey glances out the window, sees Mike with Maisie in his arms as he spins her around. "Yeah. Yeah, I am."

Gordon smiles, pats him on the arm like that's all that matters. Nate lifts his mug, and Harvey laughs, tapping his own against it.

"Congrats, big brother," Nate says, and Harvey knows that he means it.

"Thanks," he says, and they continue talking for about twenty more minutes before Nate figures it's time to rescue Mike from the kids.

Nate steps outside to call everyone in, and moments later the chilled and windswept trio make it inside. Nate decides that the kids should have an early bath to warm up, and Gordon and Nate usher the kids upstairs while Harvey and Mike remain in the kitchen.

"They're great," Mike says, coming to stand by Harvey's side.

Harvey just nods in agreement, and then Mike pulls his hand from behind his back. There's a single yellow flower in his hand, one of the last blooming for the season. Harvey looks at him, confused, and Mike just grins at him.

"It's been a week," Mike says. "Happy anniversary."

Harvey is shocked into stillness for a moment before he lets out a breathy chuckle. "Idiot," he murmurs, but the word is thick with fondness, and he accepts the flower anyway.

 

 

 

 

Mike's face hurts from smiling and laughing so much.

He looks around the table and is struck by how right this all feels. It's one of those perfect moments in time, where everything just seems right with the world. Because Harvey is laughing, so loud and unashamed because he doesn't have to hide here, while squeezing Nate's upper arm as he hits his punch line. Nate throws his head back with raucous laughter. Gordon watches on, amused, and he makes a quiet comment that shocks his sons into silence for three seconds before they all burst out into laughter again.

It's been a long time since Mike had been in a room so completely enveloped in affection. The curse of an orphan, as much as he craved affection, he always stopped himself from forming permanent connections, was scared of loving and losing. So he never let himself go there. And for the first time in a long time he wishes things were different. He wishes this could last, that he had what these men had, because it's beautiful and real and they're so _happy_.

Gordon is still chuckling as he gathers everyone's plates, and Mike tries to help but is quickly waved away. He takes a sip of his wine (finishing his second glass, and he should really stop drinking now) and catches Harvey's eye. They exchange a brief smile, and he thinks Harvey can tell, knows how much fun he's having. Because of course Mike had been worried about coming here, nervous that he'd feel like he didn't fit in or know what to say or wouldn't be comfortable. But the conversation has flowed constantly for the last two hours and Mike engaged with the conversation and made them laugh as often as they did for him. Still, he keeps waiting for something to go wrong. It can't be this easy.

"So, Mike, tell us a little something about yourself," Gordon says when he returns with a lemon meringue pie for dessert.

Mike doesn't even have a chance to speak before Harvey interrupts with, "Hey, come on, let's not do the whole 'interrogate the partner' thing, it's so cliché. You're better than that, Dad," he adds with mock annoyance.

Mike chuckles, and Nate says, "Screw that, they're cliché's for a reason. Plus, you're far too cagey, Harvey. It's not like you've ever really told us anything about Mike over the last however many years."

"It's fine," Mike says, because he can tell Harvey is about to object again. He looks between Gordon and Nate and asks, "What do you want to know?"

"Well, the first question that springs to mind is why the hell did someone as smart as you fall in love with this lug right here?" Nate says, reaching over and affectionately messing with Harvey's perfectly sculpted hair.

Harvey swats him away, leaning further away from his brother for a moment before retaliating, giving Nate a proper noogie while the younger man howls in protests. Mike and Gordon watch on, amused, and Mike can't help but ask, "Are they always like this?"

Gordon nods. "Unfortunately they regress to their childhood selves whenever they're together. You get used to it."

Mike nods absently. He didn't expect this, this juvenile and playful version of Harvey. Nate surrenders, Harvey patting his messed up hair back down before returning to his chair.

Nate takes a breath before saying, "Sorry about that. Okay, Mike, you were saying?"

Mike hadn't actually said anything, and the question feels too serious for this light-hearted atmosphere. But Gordon and Nate are looking at him curiously, while Harvey very purposefully avoids his gaze, and Mike suddenly realizes that Harvey's never brought anyone home to meet his family before. Mike had been aware of the fact in an abstract sense, but he suddenly sees it from their side. All these years Harvey's never committed to anyone, and they must've wondered why - if it was because of Harvey himself, and maybe they wonder what other people see when they look at their son/brother.

"Well, who knows why we fall in love with the people we do. I'm not sure I believe in fate or anything like that, but I do know that Harvey and I were meant to meet that day." Mike chances a brief glance at Harvey, who still isn't looking at him but is smiling faintly. "I can tell you my favorite things about him. I love how fierce he is, his tenacity when it comes to his work, how fiercely he protects those he cares about. I love that he knows who he is, that he's comfortable in his own skin and completely unapologetic about it. I love the life that he's given me, because no one else would've done what he did for me, and I've never been this happy before."

The room is silent, and Mike can feel the weight of everyone's stare. But all that matters is Harvey, the way he's looking at Mike like he's searching for a lie. But he won't find it. Every word was true, and it doesn't matter that they need to lie to the world at large, because this moment is real.

"Well, fuck me," Nate breathes, and Mike can't help it, laughing lightly. The heaviness in the air from Mike's speech seems sucked from the room with Nate's words, and he's glad for the change. "So, tell us about the wedding then. What's the plan?"

"No plan yet," Mike says. "We haven’t really talked about it, though I think we'll need to soon. All I know is that I want it to be small. I know you'll probably want a massively extravagant affair," he says to Harvey, "but I've never had a big family or a massive social circle, so I just want something quiet and intimate."

Harvey nods thoughtfully. "I had a meeting at the Chilton a few weeks ago," Harvey says, which surprises Mike because he can't recall who that meeting would've been with. "When I was there I saw that they have a small library room. It's all dark wood and cream couches, and the walls are covered in thick leather books. There are tiffany lamps and a working fireplace and it's just really warm and inviting. They hire the room out for small functions, and I thought it might be a good place for the ceremony."

Mike can't tear his eyes away, overwhelmed by how Harvey somehow managed to sound hopeful and shy at the same time.

"The Chilton?" Gordon asks.

"It's where we met," Mike says, eyes still on Harvey. "You don't want a big wedding?"

Harvey shrugs. "Not if you don't."

He can't help the grin from breaking out. "Sounds perfect."

"Well then," Nate says, clapping his hands, tearing Mike's attention away. "Sounds like we better get planning then."

"I didn't realize wedding planning was part of your skill set," Harvey says teasingly to Nate, which of course sets them off with more brotherly pestering, and minutes later they've wandered off onto a completely different topic of conversation.

The four men migrate to the lounge after dinner, but it's basically just more of the same, more conversations and wine and food, until a few hours later when they decide to call it a night. They all head upstairs and bid each other goodnight before heading to their respective rooms, the door closing behind Harvey with a thud.

It's really the first time they've been alone since they arrived, and though Mike already loves the Specter family, there is something about being alone with Harvey that allows him to breathe that much easier. He pushes his duffle onto the floor and collapses onto the bed with a sigh. Harvey looks down at him with an indulgent smile.

"I drank way too much," Mike moans, even though he didn’t really drink that much at all.

"You'll be fine," Harvey says.

Mike shifts up onto his elbows. "Your family is amazing," he says with complete earnest. Harvey doesn't reply, just smiles, but there's something sad about it. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," Harvey says, dismissive. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Mike just looks at him, waits until Harvey relents under his stare.

Finally Harvey exhales and says, "Yeah, okay, it's not ideal. But this is what we signed up for. Admittedly the lying aspect isn't great, but I can deal."

Mike thinks about it for a moment. Harvey starts rustling around in the dresser for his sleep clothes and suddenly it hits Mike. "Thank you," he blurts before he loses his nerve.

Harvey turns back, confused. "What for?"

"It just occurred to me that I never actually said thank you for doing this for me. All of it. Marrying me, lying to the government, introducing me to your family. For saving me. For _always_ saving me. You didn't really have to do any of it and even though I maintain that it's kinda insane it doesn't mean I don't appreciate it. Because I do. So, thank you."

"You're welcome," Harvey says softly.

Mike collapses back onto the bed. "I'm really tempted to just to go sleep like this."

"You'll regret it," Harvey says, adding his toiletries to the bundle of clothes in his arms. "Back in five," he says before slipping from the room.

With a groan Mike stands, taking advantage of Harvey's momentary absence to change into his pajamas. He heads to the bathroom when Harvey leaves it, quickly brushing his teeth and washing his face before returning to their bedroom.

Harvey's already in bed, and Mike refuses to hesitate, to think too much about it. He just heads straight to his side of the bed, slipping beneath the covers and turning off the lamp on his bedside table.

"Goodnight," he murmurs, closing his eyes and turning onto his side. He hears Harvey say goodnight and is asleep within minutes.

 

 

 

 

Harvey sits on the wingback chair in the bedroom, tying his shoelaces, when Mike stirs, opening his eyes blearily.

"Where are you going?" Mike mumbles, rubbing a hand over his face.

"For a run. Wanna join me?"

"What time is it?"

Harvey checks his watch. "Just past seven."

Mike groans, pulling the blankets tighter over his body. "Seriously, we're on vacation, you're still going to get up early and exercise? Fuck that, I just wanna do nothing."

Harvey chuckles to himself as Mike closes his eyes and goes back to sleep. He heads downstairs to find Nate and the kids already up. He kisses Owen and Maisie on the top of their heads as he passes before heading out the front door for his run.

He keeps a steady pace for nearly an hour. He has a few different runs he goes on depending on how long he wants to be out, and today he picks the longest route. When he returns home everyone is now up, spread out into different rooms, eating their breakfast.

Harvey heads upstairs and showers quickly, dressing in his favorite jeans and Henley. Mike, Nate and Gordon are in the lounge, watching _Hercules_ with the kids, so he grabs a bowl of cereal and joins Mike on the couch.

Owen gets bored after about twenty minutes, and Maisie lasts about ten minutes more, wandering off to go play elsewhere. Which leaves the three grown men to watch the movie, which they do, because Hades is fucking hilarious.

The day idles by easily. Harvey sticks pretty close to Mike's side for the day, and tells himself it's because he doesn't want Mike to feel abandoned and awkward in a houseful of strangers, and he ignores how much it feels like a lie. They play with Owen and Maisie, doing puzzles and building tower blocks (which Mike takes way too seriously) and playing hide and seek (which they rope Nate and Gordon into). The other hours are filled with nothing, just relaxing and lounging on the couch and talking.

It feels good, not thinking about work, having his mind and body let go from his everyday life. He's missed this, just relaxing with the family, and having Mike here introduces a new element which works better than he could've ever hoped.

Mike insists that Gordon let him help with dinner, which means afterwards Harvey and Nate are on dish duty. Mike pushes him toward the kitchen with a grin before Gordon steals Mike away to teach him how to play Cribbage. It's the Specter card game of choice, and Mike's never played, so Gordon is more than happy to teach him.

Harvey and Nate get to work, clearing the table and beginning to wash up. It actually doesn't take too long, with pretty much everything going into one load for the dishwasher and just a few of the bigger pans needing hand washing.

"So," Nate says, as the sink fills with warm water. "You and Mike, you're really getting married."

"Of course," Harvey replies. "Why wouldn't we be?"

"No, it's just, after what happened with mom and dad, I distinctly remember you saying you never wanted to get married."

"In my defence I was twenty at the time."

"But in all these years, you've never talked about wanting to get married or have kids or anything. And after what happened with me and Jemma, I don't know, it just surprised me is all."

Nate starts scrubbing at the pans, and Harvey watches him for a moment. "Are you doing okay? How are things between you these days?"

Nate shrugs. "You know, good days and bad days. But don't try and distract me. We can talk about me and my failed marriage later. We're talking about you and Mike now."

Harvey chuckles lightly, takes the dripping pan from his hands and begins to dry. "Fine. Yes it's really happening, and yes I'm really sure."

Nate looks over at him. "He makes you happy," he says, and Harvey thinks it should be a question but he gets the distinct impression that it's a statement.

"Yeah, he does."

"I swear, I'm not trying to be an asshole about it, questioning your integrity or intentions or anything. I just want you to be happy, Harvey. And, after what happened with me ... I just don't want to see you hurt like I was."

Harvey can't help but think that, despite going into this with his eyes wide open, that he's going to end up hurt in the end anyway. He can feel the inevitability of pain looming, and he wants to run away, stop himself from ever going down this road. But he won't. He's too far gone now, and no matter how scared he might be, he'll never abandon Mike.

"I won't be," Harvey assures him. "Promise."

 

 

 

 

When Mike wakes, he's alone. His arm stretches to Harvey's side of the bed but the sheets are cool, so he grabs his cell from the bedside table and checks the time. It's nearly 9am, so he gets up, showers and dresses before heading downstairs for breakfast.

"Morning," he says when he collapses into the chair beside Harvey at the breakfast table.

"Nice of you to join us," Harvey says, but he's grinning around the words.

"Vacation, Harvey. _Vacation_."

"Yeah, yeah," Harvey chuckles. He gets up and comes back to the table a few moments later with a steaming coffee he puts in front of Mike.

"Thanks," Mike murmurs, wrapping his fingers around the warm mug and taking a sip. "So, anything planned for the day?"

"I told Owen and Maisie we could go for a walk this morning as long as the weather stayed clear. Other than that, no, nothing concrete." Mike nods absently, and is surprised when a few moments later Harvey tentatively says, "You want to come?"

Mike's head snaps up, surprised. Harvey asked like he wasn't sure, and to be honest, Mike hadn't considered any other option than going with them. "Of course."

So a couple of hours later everyone is lining up in the front entranceway, ready to head out. Owen is so excited he tries to sneak outside without his coat, but Harvey grabs him just in time and wrestles him into it while Nate buttons Maisie's jacket.

"Okay, everyone ready?" Nate asks the room at large, even though it's really directed to the kids. "Shoes? Jackets?"

"Yes, Daddy," Maisie says, and she's just as bouncy as Owen now.

"Okay then, let's go."

So the six of them walk through the front door, and ten seconds later the kids have already run ahead. Harvey yells, "Don't go too far," but doesn't actually make a move to catch up to them.

Mike doesn’t know where they're going, but the kids obviously know the area well, because they'll run off and then come back to the adults, running in circles around them a few times before heading off again. Mike keeps pace beside Harvey, the two of them chatting amiably, and about twenty minutes into the walk he can suddenly hear Owen call out, "Mike, Mike, come and look."

Mike looks to Harvey, surprised, and Harvey just smiles, placing a hand on his back to push him forward as he says, "Off you go."

Mike hustles down the lane to where Maisie and Owen are waiting for him. They're looking excitedly ahead into the not too far distance, and when Mike reaches them Maisie points and says, "Look."

In the distance Mike can make out a large, blue lake. "Wow," he says.

"Can we go?" Owen asks, and Mike blinks past the surprise that they're asking him and replies, "I think we should ask your dad that, don't you?"

Mike looks back to see the three Specter man still slowly meandering towards them, and then his attention is drawn back to Maisie as she tugs on his hand. She inches closer to his side, and he crouches down and asks, "What is it?"

Maisie points into the grass ahead of them and Mike can make out a small, dark frog. It hops forward, and Maisie startles. "Hey, it's okay," Mike says, wrapping an arm around her. "It won't hurt you."

But Maisie clearly isn't so sure, and she presses to his side, throws her arms around him. At a loss of what else to do he wraps his arms around her, lifts her from the ground. She wraps her small legs around him, buries her head into neck.

"It's okay, sweetie," Mike murmurs, rubbing a hand up and down her back. "Come on." He starts walking away, and after they take a few steps Owen runs after them, walking beside Mike. "So, Maisie, what are we gonna do this afternoon?" he asks, and it draws her out enough for her to be okay with him letting her down. She starts talking about playing with her toys (Tiger and Glowworm, and Mike chuckles internally over their imaginative names) and then Owen chips in something about his dinosaurs and they're off, talking a million miles an hour.

Mike's never really had much to do with children before, but he adores these two, and can basically just throw in the occasional "Really?" or "Is that so?" or "And then what?" and the kids can practically keep the conversation going by themselves.

Nate slides up to them, clapping him on the shoulder. "They totally love you."

"Who wouldn't?" Mike jokes, because that's easier than dealing with the feelings stirring within at such a pronouncement. Nate laughs, and Owen hustles up to them.

"Dad, can we go to the lake?"

"What do you say?"

" _Please_. Please Dad, can we go see the lake?"

"Alright, little man. Let's go."

 

 

 

 

Harvey has to give Nate props; he doesn't know how he does this every night. Trying to wrestle the two littlest Specters into bed is like waging an epic war, one worthy of the halls of Pearson Hardman. Maisie is going through a phase where she likes being naked, so as soon as Harvey lifts her from the bath and wraps a towel around her she's off, running out of the room and down the corridor. He follows, chasing her around the landing a few times before scooping her up and carrying her to her room.

But even when they're both dressed it doesn’t get any easier. There's still the matter of convincing them it's bedtime and that they need to go to sleep. Owen is particularly petulant. He keeps insisting, "No, I _don't_ need to go to bed," and trying to get out. Harvey tries everything he can think of to convince him to get back into bed and is just about to resort to blackmail when Nate pops his head in and gives them both a stern look. Owen reluctantly climbs under the covers.

"I don't know how you do it," Harvey says as they head back downstairs.

"Don't worry about it. They'll use any excuse to play up. You should enjoy it. You can just be fun Uncle Harvey and do all the exciting stuff and leave everything else to me."

Harvey nods absently, and when they make it into the dining room, Gordon and Mike are just finishing setting the table. Harvey trails his hand lightly across Mike's back as he passes, and Mike looks up and smiles at him.

After dinner, Harvey asks Gordon about what he's been working on.

"The label has me working with a new artist. She's young, younger than all of you, but amazingly talented. The most beautiful lyrics I've heard in a long while."

"So how does it work?" Mike asks.

"Depends. Sometimes I'll write some music and she'll add the lyrics to suit the piece, sometimes she'll write the song and I'll create the melody. She lives in New York, so most of the work is done separately, but it still works. I actually think it works better because of the distance. We can bring a fresh perspective to each other's work."

"What kind of music do you play?" Mike asks, and everyone's eyes immediately fall on him.

"You've never played him dad's stuff?" Nate asks Harvey, incredulous.

"Mike is in serious need of a musical education, it's true, and given how terrible his music taste is, I've been afraid to start. But in my defence, he has heard Dad play before, he just didn't know it was him."

Now it's Mike's turn to be incredulous. "Really?"

Harvey nods, thinking back to when he'd first played his father's music, when he and Mike were working late one night. Mike had complimented the music, and Harvey remembers wanting to tell him, to share that with him. But he was too cowardly, too weak, and then the moment had passed and it was too late.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Mike asks, and his voice is soft. He's _hurt_ , and Harvey wants to explain. He wants to say that he'd wanted to, wanted to share something with Mike, something personal and his. But he'd felt like it was too much, didn't know how to reach out and let Mike in.

Harvey can't keep Mike's gaze, so he turns back to his father and says, "You haven't played for us in a while."

"Is this your way of asking me to play for you now?" Gordon asks with a smirk.

Harvey chuckles. "Only if you want to."

"Of course," Gordon replies easily, and they move into the music room.

Gordon pulls out his saxophone while everyone settles around the room, Harvey and Mike on the couch and Nate on the chaise. Gordon sits on the piano bench stool, hands moving effortlessly over the instrument as he prepares it.

"What would you like to hear, Harvey?"

Harvey doesn't think about it too long. "How about _Rhapsody in Blue_?"

Gordon nods, taking a calming breath before starting to play. The notes are so familiar after all these years. This was always one of Harvey's favorite pieces of music, and he loves it even more when his dad plays it.

Mike turns to him after a few minutes, and he can see the realization on his face. Harvey smiles shyly, and Mike just beams at him. Mike settles into the couch, turning his body so he's pressing into the arm of the sofa, his feet finding their way into Harvey's lap. Mike closes his eyes and Harvey can see him relaxing as the music washes over him.

Harvey turns back to his father, who is watching him with a knowing look. Harvey ignores that for now, loses himself in the music, his hands resting on Mike's ankle and lightly tracing the skin there.

 

 

 

 

When Mike exits their bedroom he halts in the hallway as Harvey's voice floats down the space. Intrigued, Mike slowly shuffles down the corridor to Owen and Maisie's room. He peeks his head around the doorframe and his heart nearly stops at the sight before him.

Harvey is sitting on Owen's bed, back pressed against the mint green colored wall with Maisie and Owen curled up on either side, faces peering at the open book Harvey is reading. All three are still in their pajamas, relaxed and content. He's reading a Sesame Street book starring the Cookie Monster which extols the virtues of sharing, and Harvey gets completely involved, doing a terrible (but completely adorable) Cookie Monster voice.

Mike is glued to the spot, unable to tear his eyes away. None of them have noticed him, too drawn in to the story, so Mike allows himself a moment to just watch. Harvey looks really happy, dividing his attention between the two of them, doing silly voices and dramatically reading the story, causing Maisie to gasp once or twice.

When the story finishes the children immediately demand, "Again! Again!" and Harvey seems more than happy to oblige, returning to the beginning of the book and starting again.

Nate finds him not long later, and he's nowhere near as subtle as Mike. They stand together in the doorway and Nate chuckles at Harvey's Cookie Monster voice, causing the man himself to look up and see them at last. He meets Mike's eyes and it's so unguarded. Mike's never seen Harvey like this. It's real and fragile and hopeful and Mike is overwhelmed by the intensity they share from a simple look. Harvey smiles softly at him for a moment, and Mike barely has time to return it before Owen is demanding Harvey's attention.

"Come on," Nate says, "we should leave them to it."

Mike nods, and trails after him.

"We never talk about it," Nate says when they're downstairs, "but I know Harvey hates not seeing the kids more often. I think he worries that they'll forget about him, like one day he'll come and see us and they won't know who he is or something."

"I know he regrets not being part of their lives more," Mike says.

"I don't blame him for anything. Life's hard, we all know that, and Harvey is busy with his work. I don't begrudge him that _at all_. We live too far away to make seeing each other regularly possible. I'm just glad we have this time for the kids to spend with their uncle, even if it's not as much as it could be," he says, not a little bitterly.

"You taking them back today?" Mike asks, even though he already knows.

Nate nods. "I should be grateful, because they were supposed to be with Jemma this month and she let them come down here. I just wish they could've stayed the whole fortnight, if only to spend some more time with you and Harvey."

Mike smiles softly. "Me too."

"Do you want kids?" Nate asks, and the question surprises him more than it should.

"Yeah, I do," Mike tells him honestly. "But if it doesn't happen, I'm okay with that too. All I really want is a family, and I have that with Harvey. That's all I need."

Nate smiles warmly at him, and Mike suddenly has an idea.

"You're taking the kids back to Hudson today, aren't you?" At Nate's nod, Mike suggests, "You should take Harvey with you, maybe go out for lunch, just the four of you."

Nate seems to think it over for a moment before grinning. "Yeah, good idea. I'll ask Harvey about it later."

After a lazy breakfast, it feels like the morning is spent cleaning and packing everything for the kids' departure. Mike takes Owen outside to play so Harvey and Nate can pack everything up and pile it all into the car while Maisie naps in Harvey and Mike's bed. Owen seems to have a never-ending well of energy, but Mike manages to keep up with him. They run around the damp grass for a while before Mike goes and grabs a soccer ball and they spend a good half hour kicking it around the yard.

When Harvey joins them, Mike asks, "All ready to go?"

Harvey nods. "Nate invited me to drive back with them, take the kids out to lunch."

Mike can't tell if Harvey knew it was his idea or not, and decides not to say anything. "Sounds like a great idea."

"You okay here?"

"Totally fine," Mike assures him. "Don't worry about me. Go, be with your family."

Harvey squeezes his hand briefly and then Owen comes charging towards them, Harvey scooping him up and spinning him around, Owen screaming with delight. The three of them keep playing outside for another ten minutes until Maisie comes running out of the house to join them. She immediately makes a beeline for Owen, throwing her arms around him and hugging him like they hadn't seen each other in a week. It's such an amusing quirk that Mike can't help but exclaim, "Hey, where are our hugs?" at which point she grins, running over to hug both Mike and Harvey.

They usher both kids inside, and Nate breaks the news that it's time to go.

"No, _we_ stay here and _you_ go home," Owen says, and Mike can't help but laugh.

"But mommy is waiting for you at home, don't you want to go and see her?"

"Okay," Owen sighs, like it was some big chore, but then he runs to the door, clearly excited to go home to his mom.

Everyone traipses outside, and Nate tells the kids, "Now say goodbye to Poppy and Uncle Mike."

Mike starts at the 'uncle' tag, eyes briefly flicking to Harvey who has an unreadable expression coloring his face, but then he's accosted by Maisie before he can think about it too much. He crouches down so she can throw her arms around him.

"Bye sweetie," he murmurs, pressing a kiss to her hair.

"Bye Uncle Mike," she replies, and he lets her go so she can scamper over to Gordon.

He's still crouched down when Owen runs over and quickly hugs him. Mike holds out his fist, and Owen grins, bumping it with his own tiny one. "Keep it real, little man," Mike says, ruffling Owen's hair.

Gordon and Nate buckle the kids into the car, so Harvey heads over to Mike. "See you in a few hours."

"Have fun," Mike tells him, and because he can see Nate looking over at them Mike kisses Harvey on the cheek before turning and heading back inside.

He's a bit chilled from playing outside with the kids (clearly Owen was much smarter than Mike and had more appropriate layers for the cool October air) so he heads upstairs and has a quick but enjoyably hot shower. Once dressed and warm again, he heads downstairs and finds Gordon in the lounge.

Gordon's reading a book on the couch, but looks up and smiles warmly at Mike when he notices him.

"What are you reading?"

Gordon holds up the book so Mike can see. It's a collection of poetry by Walt Whitman, and Mike nods in acknowledgement. He cautiously moves into the room, hands twisting with nerves over what he's about to ask.

"I was wondering if I could ask you a favor," Mike says, voice small.

"Of course, what is it?" Gordon asks, sitting up.

Mike takes a deep breath. "I was wondering if you could teach me to play piano."

Gordon smiles warmly at him. "I'd love to," he says, putting his book aside and heading to the music room. "Have you played before?"

"My parents died when I was a kid, but I have vague memories of my mom trying to teach me to play with her keyboard. I don't remember much."

Gordon sits at the piano, and Mike sits beside him. "That must've been difficult," Gordon says kindly.

"It was, but I had my Grammy. And it's not like I had a choice in the matter. I had to accept that they were gone and that my life wasn't going to be the same again."

"Loss is a powerful thing. It shapes us in ways we never anticipated, both for the better and worse."

"Yeah," Mike agrees. "Of course I wish I still had them, and my Grammy, but I probably wouldn't be the person I am today otherwise. And, of course if given the option between having them back and having the life I have now I'd choose them, but I still love my life, and I think at the end of the day they'd just want me to be happy."

"And are you?"

The question is simple and easy while simultaneously being incredibly personal and important. Mike takes a moment to think about it. He knows he shouldn't be, because his life is full of lies and deceit and he's actively endangering those he cares about. But when he thinks about his job and Harvey and being here with Gordon, all of that seems to pale into insignificance.

"Yes," Mike tells him honestly. "I really am."

Mike doesn't say the words, doesn't say _your son makes me happy, he's amazing, you should be so proud_ , but he thinks that Gordon can sense the sentiment in there anyway.

The older man smiles, quick but warm, and there's a wistful quality to his voice when he says, "I'm glad." He turns his attention to the piano, lifting the fall board and running his fingertips over the keys. He plays a few notes, seemingly without even thinking, before turning back to Mike and saying, "Okay, how about you show me what you remember and we can go from there."

 

 

 

 

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Harvey exclaims as Nate pulls a couple of joints out of his coat pocket and lights one up.

"What? Come on, it's not like the kids are around or anything."

"Oh my God," Harvey groans, and then turns to his dad, saying, "Really? You're just going to let him do this?"

Gordon laughs. "He's not a child, Harvey."

"Cheers, Dad," Nate says, handing the joint over to Gordon, who accepts it with a nod before taking a hit.

"I'm surrounded by idiots," Harvey grumbles to Mike, who briefly squeezes his thigh.

"It's fine, Harvey," Mike assures him, correctly surmising his discomfort relates to Mike's history with drugs.

Nate, who has taken the joint back from Gordon and has sucked in another drag, holds up the other joint in offering to Harvey.

"No."

Nate shrugs, turning his attention to Mike. Harvey bristles at the action, but Mike is already waving Nate away, saying pleasantly, "No, thanks."

Harvey looks at Mike for a moment, considering. They _were_ on vacation after all, and he knows Mike isn't due for another drug test for a few months. He leans over and says quietly, "If you really want to, you can."

Mike looks incredulously at Harvey. And then he smiles, shifting closer so he can whisper in reply, "I don't want to. I promised you I wouldn't and I'm never breaking that promise again."

When Harvey pulls away, can look at Mike in the admittedly low light, he can't help it. Mike is just looking at him like he's never meant anything more, and Harvey doesn't know how to deal with heat flooding through his veins. Without his consent his hand makes its way to Mike's face, fingers wrapping around his neck, his thumb brushing the arch of his cheek. Mike doesn't even startle at the touch, just smiles softly, and Harvey feels like he can't breathe.

"What are you two whispering about over there?" Nate asks, very loudly, and it's enough to break the moment, Mike collapsing back into this chair and Harvey suddenly feeling cold from the loss of proximity.

"Nothing," Harvey says, trying to tamp down the resentment at the intrusion. He can't help wondering what would've happened without the interruption. And to stop himself from doing something stupid he shoves his hands into his coat pockets.

"Oh, I just thought maybe you were telling Mike about your wayward youth and past drug abuse. Which is kinda hilarious when you think about how uptight you are about it now," Nate laughs.

"Wait," Mike says, sitting up and looking far too interested. "Harvey did drugs when he was younger?"

"Oh yeah," Nate laughs. "He never told you?"

"No, he didn't," Mike says significantly, and Harvey knows that at some point in his immediate future he and Mike will have a conversation during which Mike will inevitably call him a hypocrite.

"You should get him to tell you about the time he got so high he ran naked though the main street of the town we grew up in."

Mike collapses into a ball of laughter as Harvey buries his face in his hands.

"Can we please not do the telling embarrassing stories thing, if only for the utter cliché of it all," Harvey begs, but he already knows it's going to be pointless.

"Hell no," Mike says. "I demand you tell me _all_ the embarrassing stories," he continues, looking across the table at Nate.

"Well, there was the time that Harvey..." and Nate proceeds to tell Mike all about when Harvey went to the market and bought ten boxes of donuts, Mike listening with rapt attention.

Harvey uses this as his cue to take all their dinner plates inside. He scrapes the leftover food from the plates as he watches his family spill secrets to Mike. He's struck by how content they all look. An objective outsider might assume that all four of them had known each other all their lives by how comfortable they all were. Harvey's content to just watch for a few minutes from the quiet of the kitchen. He notices the crinkles his dad gets around his eyes when he laughs, how bright his brother's features are as he regales the table with no doubt wildly inaccurate stories. He can't see Mike's face from this angle, can only see his body, which never stills, always moving as he laughs at Nate's tales.

Harvey heads back outside, adding a couple more logs to the fireplace before returning to the table. Nate is in the middle of telling Mike about the prank that Harvey played on their next door neighbor when they were kids (spoiler alert: it backfired spectacularly), conveniently omitting his own part in the prank.

Harvey looks over to his dad, plaintive, but Gordon just shrugs. "At least you had four days of peace before all this came out. It could've been worse. You know it took all of your brother's will to not tell embarrassing childhood stories to Mike the night you arrived."

Harvey grudgingly agrees. He can tell Nate has been waiting for this opportunity by the sheer arsenal of never-ending stories that he regales Mike with. Harvey gives up fighting, let's them expose his flaws and mistakes, only occasionally throwing in a comment to correct an outrageous lie, because he isn't afraid of Mike knowing the truth about him. If there is anyone he trusts with his history, it's Mike. And as the night wears on he can see he was right, because Mike doesn't look at him like he thinks any less of Harvey for it. He just smiles and laughs and teases Harvey. Nothing feels different. And yet, Harvey can't help but think that everything's changed.

 

 

 

 

"I thought I'd find you here."

Mike looks up from his book to see Harvey standing in the doorway, leaning against the jam, smiling at him. He smiles in return, placing the open book over his thigh to keep the page marked.

He's sitting on the day bed in the sunroom, back pressed to the stone feature wall, legs stretched out and crossed at the ankle. He's loved this room since he first stepped into it, with its glass wall giving a perfect view to the green grass and fall trees beyond. Even on a day like today, with rain pouring heavily through a grey morning mist, it's still beautiful. The room is warm and comfortable, and Mike quickly claimed this as his favorite spot.

"Did you know this room was my idea?" Harvey continues as he steps into the room.

Mike shakes his head, surprised, as Harvey collapses beside him onto the day bed. He's sitting close enough that Mike can feel the line of Harvey along his arm.

"It was around the same time I moved into my condo. I became obsessed with glass and light and when I came home once I suddenly saw this room right here. I suggested it to Dad and he remodeled the kitchen and added this."

Mike looks around the room, into the kitchen, and sees the space in a new light. "So this was the outside of the house," Mike says, looking at the wall they were leaning on.

"Yeah. Makes a nice feature, huh?"

"Definitely. Maybe you missed your calling, should've gone into architecture or renovations or something."

Harvey chuckles. "I think I'm doing okay with the law for now. Although I suppose it'd be a good back up career option if anything ever went wrong. Would you follow me into architecture if I left?" Harvey asks, his tone light and teasing.

"Of course," Mike says, not even really thinking about it. "I'd follow you anywhere."

Harvey looks at him for a moment, the room suddenly heavy around them. Mike is acutely aware of their bodies pressing together, can feel Harvey's body shift slightly as he breathes in and out.

Harvey coughs lightly, looks away, breaking the moment between them. "What are you reading?" he asks, nodding at the book.

Mike, grateful for the distraction, picks it up and shows him the cover. It's the collection of Whitman poems Gordon was reading yesterday. "Your dad gave it to me."

Harvey smiles wistfully. "Enjoying it?"

"Yeah," Mike says. "Never been much a poetry guy before, but I get the appeal. It's beautiful."

"Whitman is Dad's favorite. I think he could give you a run for your money when it comes to memorizing these poems."

"Maybe we can have a poetry recital-off later," Mike laughs.

Harvey chuckles. He looks at Mike for a moment before saying, "I should leave you to it," and starting to scoot down the bed. But Mike doesn't even think about it, just reaches over and wraps his hand around Harvey's wrist, halting him before he can leave.

"No, it's fine. Stay. If you want," Mike says, trying to keep his voice casual, to not give away _how much_ he wants Harvey here with him.

Harvey doesn't respond, remains completely still. He isn't looking at him, all Mike can see is the profile of his face, and it suddenly occurs to him that his fingers are still enclosing Harvey's wrist, that maybe Harvey's waiting for Mike to let him go so he can leave. With more reluctance than he cares to examine, Mike lets go, sits back against the wall, and waits for Harvey to get up and leave.

But he doesn't. He shifts onto his side, lying down with his head resting on Mike's thigh, looking out onto the view. Harvey doesn't say anything, and not wanting to do anything to disrupt the moment, Mike remains silent too.

Mike goes back to his book, becomes lost in the words. He can vaguely hear the light sounds of a piano medley floating softly through the house from where Gordon is working, along with the constant beating of rain on glass. It's comforting, feels like the whole world is quiet, like the end of a deep exhale where everything feels uncomplicated, and for quite possibly the first time in his life Mike, feels like he's exactly where he should be. He doesn't even realize he's running his fingers through the soft hairs at the nape of Harvey's neck at first, but when he becomes aware of the fact he doesn't stop, keeps the rhythm constant.

"Harvey?" he says quietly, afraid of breaking the spell of the moment but unable to not say anything.

"Mmm?" is Harvey's reply, soft and content.

"I'm really glad I'm here."

There's a brief pause, long enough for Mike to start to panic, before Harvey replies in a murmur, "Me too."

 

 

 

 

Mike keeps tossing and turning. It's late, long past midnight, and this whole week Harvey has never known Mike to take longer than twenty minutes to fall asleep. But they've been lying here for nearly an hour now, and they're both still awake.

"Are you okay?" Harvey asks into the dark, voice low so as not to startle the younger man.

"Yeah," Mike says, and Harvey knows it's a lie.

"What's wrong, Mike?" Harvey asks softly.

There are a few beats of silence before Mike sighs. He maneuvers himself in the bed, both of them now lying on their sides, facing each other. His knees knock into Harvey's and he doesn't move them away.

"Nothing's wrong. I was just thinking about what your brother said at dinner."

Nate had said a lot of things at dinner. They all had. It was lively and verbose and Harvey still marveled at how easily Mike had fit in with his family. Yet Harvey didn't need to ask to what Mike was referring because he already knew. He sighed. "Ignore him, he didn't really mean it."

"But he's not wrong, is he?" Mike asks, somewhat rhetorically, and Harvey had been trying his best to ignore that. "Most marriages end in divorce, and ours will too."

Harvey doesn't want to think about that. Denial was not something he allowed himself to use in his everyday life, because it just put off the inevitable and increased the pain more than would've occurred otherwise. But when it came to this, when it came to him and Mike, denial was the only option he could bear.

"What you have to understand," Harvey says, because, incredibly, it's easier to talk about this than to talk about their own impending (and doomed) marriage, "is that we didn't have the best example. Our parents' marriage didn't end well, and he was so determined that his own was going to succeed. I think it hurt him more, not being able to break that pattern, than it would've had our parents still been together."

Mike's quiet for a few moments, and Harvey can't say he hadn't been expecting it when Mike quietly asks, "What happened with your parents?"

"My mom tried to blame it on my dad, said he wasn't around enough, that he loved music more than he loved her. But that was just her excuse, the lie she told herself so she could cheat on him without guilt. I was sixteen when I caught her cheating on him with her boss."

He can hear Mike's sharp intake of breath at that, but he remains silent.

"I didn’t know what to do. I couldn't tell him, couldn't be the one to break his heart. My dad's a romantic, you know? He believed, somehow incredibly still does, in love at first sight. She was a groupie, and he fell for her hard. I guess he thought the music connected them, but it didn't. I found out later that she'd cheated on him for years."

"I always wondered why you were so vehement in your 'no married women' policy."

"Yeah," Harvey agrees. "I'd like to think that even without what happened I wouldn't go there, but it's pretty obvious that what happened with them affected me."

"What was she like?"

Harvey takes a moment to think about that. He hasn't spoken to his mother in twenty years, barely even thinks about her anymore. But he gets that because Mike doesn't have parents that he'd be curious about his.

"The thing is, growing up, she seemed like the perfect mom. I remember lots of baking and stories and playing when I was a kid. I remember growing up feeling loved. But when I was about ten or eleven I started to notice a change. Whether she actually changed at all or it was just me realizing what was there all along, I still couldn't tell you. But I just didn't understand her anymore. She was distant and uncaring. And Dad was never around and Nate was still a little kid and I felt completely alone."

"I wish I'd have known you then," Mike whispers, and Harvey can't help but chuckle.

"I don't. You wouldn't have liked me. Plus, you know, when I was a teenager you were still running around in diapers, so..."

Mike pushes Harvey playfully, the covers rustling with the movement. "Smartass, always bringing logic into these things."

"It's a gift."

They're silent for a few moments, but it's not uncomfortable. He'd never really spoken to anyone about his mother, not since he told Donna the bare minimum required to keep her from pressing the point about a decade earlier. But he trusts Mike. And it doesn’t feel like a burden telling him.

"My dad didn't understand me," Mike confesses. "I know that he loved me, but our relationship was difficult. I think he just didn't know how to relate to me. He was by no means simple or idiotic, but he was what he was and didn't care about improving his situation. And because my brain just picked up on everything I think I outsmarted him a lot and he couldn't deal with that."

"That must've been hard."

"It was what it was," Mike says dismissively, but Harvey can detect the thin layer of hurt in his voice. "Do I wish things could've been different? Of course, especially since I had so little time with them. I hate that so many memories of my dad aren't good ones. But I just try and focus on the happier times, and it works, for the most part."

"I think it's hard to remember sometimes that our parents are just people too. We idolize them so much that when they disappoint us it hurts even more. The first time I felt really let down by my dad, it was a pretty rude awakening."

"What happened?" Mike asks.

"He found out the truth about me, that I was into guys. In his defence, it's not like I sat him down and told him. He found out by walking in on me and one of my teammates making out in my bedroom. But yeah, he didn't react well."

"Really?" Mike says, surprised.

He knows it's probably surprising to hear, given how okay Gordon is with Mike, given how close they are now. And it's not something he ever really thinks about anymore. "Well, you have to remember it was a different time, and I'd never said or done anything to prepare him for that. It was the shock more than anything else I think. He works in the music industry; he wasn't unfamiliar with the lifestyle. I just don't think he expected to walk in on it in his eldest son's bedroom. But we got through it together, and we're probably closer for it. I guess my point is, parents are flawed, but if they're any good, and given how you turned out I'm sure yours were, they're always trying, and that's all we can really ask for."

Mike doesn't say anything for a while, but Harvey doesn't press him, just listens to the sound of their breathing. They're lying close enough that once in a while he can feel Mike's breath exhaling onto his skin.

After a few minutes of silence, Mike breaks it by quietly asking, "Do you ever think about having kids?"

"Sometimes," Harvey admits, but he can't talk about this. He can't let his mind conjure images of children because it traitorously includes Mike in the scenario, even as the rational corner of his mind is reminding him it's something that can never happen. He can't ask Mike the same question, because he's scared of knowing the answer. Instead he changes the topic, asking Mike about his Grammy, and Mike is more than happy to oblige, telling him all about the woman who practically raised him.

Harvey tells Mike about his days at Harvard. Mike tells Harvey about never finding anywhere he could fit in because of how his brain works. Harvey tells Mike about how close he came to playing pro baseball, and how he still laments not being able to. Mike tells Harvey about his decision to come to America, those first few years where he was alone until he met Trevor and Jenny and found some semblance of belonging. They talk about the first movies they ever saw and the places all over the world that they want to visit and the most irrational phobias they have.

Every time a topic of conversation reaches its natural conclusion someone will start talking about something else. As the hours pass, their voices become more sleepy, their responses slower. Harvey doesn’t know how long they lie there, talking in the dark, but thinks it must be near dawn by the time they stop. The last thing Harvey remembers before falling asleep is murmuring, "I don't want to go home to New York," his hand inching across the bed so his pinkie rests atop Mike's hand, and Mike's soft, "I know what you mean."

 

 

 

 

When Mike wakes up in the morning, the first thing he's aware of is Harvey.

Harvey's still in bed with him, which hasn't happened once all week. But then Mike becomes acutely aware of the way they are lying, Mike with his forehead pressed to the nape of Harvey's neck, his hand curled around Harvey's hip, their feet touching at the foot of the bed.

Mike instantly pulls away, heart pounding in his chest. He practically falls out of the bed in his haste, and when he gets up onto his feet he creeps around the bed to see that Harvey is still asleep.

With an exhale of relief he heads downstairs and grabs some breakfast. He's nearly finished when Harvey pads into the room, and despite the fact that they only got a few hours sleep Harvey looks so rested, so content. He smiles warmly at Mike, and Mike returns it briefly before standing from the table and fleeing from the room, ignoring the feel of Harvey's confused gaze on the back of his head.

Mike just needs to be alone. He can feel it sitting in his stomach, that change between them. He doesn’t know when it occurred, but he does know that what happened yesterday brought it crashing into his consciousness, and he can't pretend like he doesn’t know anymore.

He has feelings for Harvey.

Actual, serious, strong, romantic feelings.

He can feel it down to his very core, how important Harvey is, how much he _wants_. It's been a low level desire he'd tried to ignore for as long as he could remember, but he can't pretend anymore. He has to acknowledge it, if only to himself.

Terror floods his veins as the weight of such a realization settles on his shoulders. It's too dangerous, too daunting. He's overwhelmed with his mind imagining all the ways this could end badly, and there are too many to even begin to enumerate. As much as he knows his feelings for Harvey are real, are genuine and actually kinda pure, he also knows that that doesn't matter. Nothing good can come from this, and Harvey didn't ask for and certainly wouldn't welcome his feelings.

He wishes he could blame it on their current proximity, but he can't even do that, because it's been there for months, maybe even years. Recent events may have brought them to the surface, but they were there long before Mike got himself into trouble once more and Harvey, rather inexplicably, saved him yet again.

He finds his book where he left it yesterday, sitting on the day bed in the sunroom, and he curls into a ball on the bed, opening the book but not really seeing the words. He doesn't know how long he lies like that before Harvey finds him.

"Hey," Harvey says warmly, and Mike doesn't even look up from his book. "You okay?" Harvey asks, and Mike's heart thuds from the concern he hears there.

"Fine," Mike replies, giving him a weak smile, and it seems to placate the older man.

"We're heading out for a game of golf, Nate's latest obsession. Do you want to come?"

Mike seizes on the opportunity, shaking his head. He just wants to be alone, can't even think about being with Harvey right now with all these thoughts and feelings whirling within, threatening to break free. He can't be with Harvey and not think about everything he wants and can't have. "Nah, I'm pretty beat," Mike says, trying to remain indifferent. "You guys go, have fun."

Harvey takes a cautious step into the room. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Mike makes a concerted effort to meet Harvey's eyes, to smile warmly at him. "Fine," he insists. "Go, have Specter family bonding time."

Harvey chuckles, and Mike thinks he's been appeased. "Okay. We'll be gone most of the day."

"Good luck."

"Won't need it. Nate is never as good as he thinks he is."

Mike chuckles. "Well, in that case, try not to beat him by too much."

"I'll consider it," Harvey grins as he leaves the room, and when he's gone, Mike feels like he can breathe again.

Mike revels in having the house to himself for the day. He reads his book for a bit, then watches a movie, and surfs the net for a while. He tries to keep himself active and focused on anything other than his inner turmoil. As the afternoon progresses he starts to get antsy, so he changes into sweats and grabs his ipod before heading out for a run.

Well, he's not really a runner, so he jogs for about fifteen minutes and then just keeps walking after that. It really is beautiful here. He can see why Gordon chose it to escape to. It's so peaceful that you could almost forget the rest of the world exists, just leave all your problems behind.

But Mike can't do that. His problems follow wherever he goes.

He tries not to think about Harvey but he doesn't succeed. He gets actual butterflies in his stomach, like some teenager with their first crush. But everything is just so complicated. He doesn't know how to navigate this, how to deal with his feelings given everything else that's going on.

When he heads back to the house he sees their car in the drive, which means that Harvey, Nate and Gordon have arrived home. Despite the fact that it's late afternoon and Mike's been alone all day, he's still not ready to face anyone just yet. So he quietly slips in through the front door, and tries to sneak upstairs without being noticed.

Only, as he's passing the music room, he can hear voices inside, saying his name. Unable to stop himself he hovers outside and listens in.

"This isn't about Mike," Nate says. "You know that we like him. Not that I've got much basis for comparison because you've never brought anyone home to meet us, but we both think he's great. This is about you."

"What, it's so hard for you to believe I can make the commitment?" Harvey asks, and he can hear the underlying hurt at his family's lack of faith in him.

"It just seems so fast," Gordon says, and Mike gets the feeling that he's on Harvey's side but is playing Devil's Advocate for his younger son. "We didn't even know about the two of you until a week ago."

"We haven't told anyone other than you two, and Jessica, and that was only last week too. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner, but we had our reasons."

 _Yeah, because it's all a lie we didn't need to create until last week_ , Mike thinks bitterly. There's a pause, and then a sigh Mike thinks comes from Nate.

"I just want you to be sure. That's all, Harvey," Nate tells him.

"I am," Harvey insists, and even though Mike knows the truth he sounds so certain that if he didn’t know any better he'd believe him. There's a pause before Harvey quietly adds, "I can't imagine my life without him."

Mike can't hear any more. He can't listen to Harvey having to think up lies to tell his family to keep up this charade, all the while wishing that it was true.

He makes it upstairs without being seen, immediately jumping in the shower and scrubbing himself clean. After dressing and making his way back downstairs, any resolve he had to distance himself from Harvey melts away the second he sees him. He and Nate are lounging on the sofas and he can hear Gordon in the kitchen preparing dinner and, fuck it, Mike's missed him. It's only been a day, less than a day really, and okay he has a slightly clingy personality, but this is ridiculous even for him.

He knows, intellectually, that he needs distance from Harvey, that for him to be able to function and live his new life without being driven insane by unrequited feelings, he needs to try and keep their lives separate. But as strong as those self-preservation feelings are, the truth is, the need to be near Harvey is even stronger.

So he collapses casually on the couch next to Harvey and asks, "Who won?"

"Like you even need to ask," Harvey grins, which of course sets Nate off with token protests about how Harvey cheated and Harvey gives him crap right back and Mike just sits there, listens to the two brothers tease each other good naturedly, and tries not to think about how crazy he is about Harvey.

After dinner Gordon asks Mike if he plays chess, and when Mike replies in the affirmative they head into the music room and set up a game. Mike hasn't played in years, and it takes a while to get into the groove, but Gordon doesn't seem to mind. He lets Mike take his time, and they chat idly as they play.

There's something about Gordon Specter that just makes Mike feel at ease. He's a quiet man with a fairly placid personality, but he's still sharp and intelligent and engaging. Mike imagines that this is how Harvey will be in his later years once he's mellowed, but the thought takes his mind down a dangerous path, thinking about a future he's not sure can exist.

They're deep into the second game (Gordon unsurprisingly won the first, but Mike's putting up a much better fight this time around) when Nate pops his head into the room to bid them both goodnight before disappearing again. Harvey appears not long later, stepping into the room and halting by Mike's side as he assesses the chess board.

"Who's winning?"

Harvey casually cups his hand around the back of Mike's neck as Gordon answers, and Mike hates himself for leaning into the touch but he can't help it. His rational mind knows that it doesn't mean anything, that it's more for Gordon than for him, it's just Harvey projecting the illusion of their romantic relationship. But there's that part of him that just doesn't care about reality, that just wants to be touched and loved, and that's the side that wins out (he never claimed to have a lot of willpower).

"Well, I'm heading to bed. Goodnight," Harvey says, fingertips tickling across Mike's skin as he walks away.

Mike's distracted after that, nearly losing the game before he manages to stop himself thinking about the feel of Harvey's fingers on his skin and refocusing on the game. Mike pulls out a few fluky moves which get him back into the groove and the game heats up again. Gordon starts trying to trash talk him, the words softened by his near constant grin, and Mike smiles, giving back as good as he gets.

Mike wins the second game and they are setting up the board for the tie-breaker when Gordon says lightly, "So it occurs to me that I haven’t given you the obligatory 'break my son's heart and I'll hurt you' speech."

Mike knows he's just meaning to tease, that he actually doesn't mean anything by it; it's just another random thing Gordon is saying to rib Mike and throw him off his game. But something in Mike finally _breaks_ , and he realizes he can't do this. He can't live this lie. He can't make Harvey give up his life for him, lie to his family and his friends and change everything, just for him. And he can't do this anymore. He can't keep lying to everyone, can't keep dragging Harvey down with him. He can't keep pretending what he and Harvey have is real when it's not, when he wants it to be. It's too painful, too much, and he's so overwhelmed by the guilt and unrequited feelings that before he can stop himself, he blurts, "I'm sorry, I can't do this anymore."

He gets up out of the chair, takes a few steps away, back to Gordon as he tries to breathe. He tries to keep control, but it's too much, and he can feel everything unravelling, powerless to stop it.

"Mike, what's wrong?" Gordon asks, concern clear in his voice.

Mike turns and faces him. "It's all a lie," Mike admits weakly, his heart pounding against his ribs in protest as he says the words. "Harvey and I, we aren't in love. He's just doing this to protect me. But I can't let him do this anymore."

"I don't understand," Gordon says, genuinely confused, and Mike doesn't even know how to begin explaining this. "Of course you and Harvey are in love. I've seen it with my own eyes."

Mike just shakes his head sadly. "No, you saw what we wanted you to see. But none of it was real." He sucks in a deep breath, tries to keep the tears threatening at bay. And suddenly he just needs to get out. He can't stay here, can't let Harvey try and convince him to keep going. He needs to leave, leave Harvey, confess the truth, get deported if need be. Anything was better than living with someone who pretended to feel something you wished was real.

"I'm sorry but I have to go. I need to leave right now," Mike says, but when he tries to leave Gordon blocks his path. Mike must look spooked or something because Gordon holds up his hands in surrender before slowly inching forward to rest a hand on Mike's shoulder.

"Look, I can't pretend to know exactly what's going on here. But I know my son. And whatever's between you, it's real, I know it is."

Mike wants to protest, but it's too hard. He's lost all his strength, doesn't know how to fight, even if it's just to deny something he wishes was true.

"If you want to leave I'm not going to stop you. But I think you should talk to Harvey before you go. You owe him that much at least."

But Mike can't. Leaving Harvey is going to be the absolute hardest thing he's ever done and he can't make it worse by seeing him one last time. He just needs to leave, run, go back to New York, go back to Canada, do anything other than deal with the feelings that Harvey doesn't return.

"I'm so sorry," Mike says softly. It doesn’t seem like enough to cover his multitude of sins, but he doesn’t know what else to say. He's loved his time here, is honored to have spent this week with Gordon and Nate, feels privileged to have been allowed into the inner circle with Harvey. And he's so fucking sorry for all the lies and deceit.

And then, without another word, he heads upstairs to pack.

 

 

 

 

Harvey is somewhere between sleep and wakefulness when he hears Mike enter the bedroom.

Half asleep, he doesn’t really understand straight away, but then he realizes that what he's hearing is in fact the sound of dresser drawers being repeatedly opened and closed and he knows something is wrong.

"Mike?" Harvey asks sleepily, but there's no reply. He reaches over and flicks on the bedside lamp, blinking at the sudden brightness. He looks back at the other side of the room to find Mike pulling clothes from the drawers and shoving them haphazardly into his bag. Suddenly wide awake as panic flood through his body, Harvey asks, "What's going on?"

Mike seems content to continue ignoring Harvey, so he gets out of bed and stumbles over. Mike won't even look at him, just focuses on packing his bag, until Harvey reaches over and touches his arm and Mike drops everything he's holding onto the floor, taking a step back from him.

"I can't do this anymore, Harvey," Mike says, and Harvey has never seen him look more terrified.

It hurts something deep within to see Mike so scared when he's looking at Harvey. He's never wanted to see that expression on his face, and when it's directed at him, it fucking stings.

"Do what?" Harvey asks, not even sure he wants to know the answer. Because Mike is packing his bags like he's going to leave and Harvey feels a physical response at the thought.

"This," Mike says, waving an arm between them.

"What are you talking about?" Harvey says, ignoring the begging tone in his voice. He's just so confused and scared and he has no idea what the hell is going on.

"Please don't make me say it." Mike's voice is so small, like he's the one begging now, desperate for a reprieve.

And Harvey doesn’t want to hurt Mike. He's never wanted to hurt him, but if Mike's going to hurt Harvey by leaving in the middle of the night then Harvey at least wants to know why. He inches forward slightly. "Just talk to me, Mike."

Mike takes a deep breath, doesn't look at Harvey when he says, "I can't keep pretending that we're together and in love because _I want us to be_. I'm crazy about you and I want this to be real. But it's not, and it never will be, and it just hurts too fucking much. I can't keep pretending that all our words and touches are real when all I can think about is how much I want it to be."

Harvey, for literally the first time in his entire life, is stunned into silence. Mike is just looking at him, scared and sad, and Harvey can't move, can't think. And then Mike is talking about how he needs to leave, how he'd rather be deported than suffer the torture of being married to someone who doesn't want him back, and then he's no longer talking because Harvey is kissing him.

Mike gasps into the kiss before returning the embrace. Harvey presses their bodies together, licks into Mike's mouth, finally gets the taste he's been craving. Mike moans, hands firm on his hips, fingertips slipping beneath Harvey's tee to the skin beneath.

Harvey's hands wander, everywhere, over Mike's chest and sides and back and ass. He doesn't know how long they stand there making out, but they only stop when Mike grabs at the hem of Harvey's t-shirt and pulls back enough to push the offending material off, Harvey raising his arms to help him without even thinking about it.

But when Mike leans back in to kiss him Harvey stops him, hand to Mike's chest. He's breathless when he asks, "Are you sure about this?"

Mike looks vaguely confused. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You've never done this before."

And Mike chuckles, stepping forward and placing a hand light on Harvey's chest, right over his heart. "You're right, I haven't. But when I told you I'd thought about it before, who exactly do you think I was imagining myself with?"

That's it. Harvey is _done_. His mouth crashes to Mike's, hands on his hips to steer him back towards the bed. Harvey never wants to stop kissing Mike. He's not usually one to over romanticize, but it feels like this is what he was put on this earth for. And yet it's a pleasure he happily foregoes when they break apart so they can quickly strip each other, Harvey's pajamas joining Mike's clothes in a pile on the floor until they're both naked.

Harvey's done first, so he sits on the edge of the bed and watches as Mike divests himself of the last of his clothes (in his impatience he almost forgot his socks until a cough and head nod from Harvey alerted him to the fact). Once completely naked he sinks into Harvey's lap, thighs pressing into hips, cock nudging stomach, arms firm around Harvey's neck as he kisses him deeply.

Harvey moans into his mouth, keeps the kiss slow and sensual. He drags his mouth slowly down Mike's neck and Mike throws his head back, starts writhing in his lap. Harvey hardens at near record speed as Mike's skin slides against his, and his hands make their way to the flesh of Mike's ass.

Harvey wants to fuck Mike. He wants Mike to fuck him. He wants to be Mike's first and last and everything in-between. He wants so completely and vehemently, and he wishes he could be surprised by it, but the truth is that he's felt his feelings for Mike growing for months, for years. And Harvey knows they'll have their whole lives to experience all their fantasies and desires, but for tonight, it's too soon for any of that. Because as much as he knows Mike wants this, he can also feel the way the younger man is trembling slightly, the way his own hands shake as they move across Mike's warm skin. They're both too overwhelmed by the power of the moment, the release of all those feelings long denied, and it would be too clumsy, too messy, and Mike deserves better.

He falls back to the bed, and Mike laughs, following him down. Harvey crawls up the mattress to rest his head on the pillow, the task made difficult by Mike's refusal to remove himself from atop Harvey, and they're both giggling as they slowly scramble along the bed.

Mike's mouth pulls away from him so he can explore Harvey's body. His hands are light over Harvey's skin, tentative to begin with but growing more assured in their exploration, like he's trying to map a foreign territory and commit it to memory for future invasions. His mouth trails along after, his warm tongue dipping to taste, making Harvey groan.

Harvey wants too much. He's waited so long and he needs Mike _now_. He can't control himself, hands cupping Mike's face and pulling him in for a deep kiss as he rolls them over so he's on top. He settles between Mike's legs, aligns their bodies perfectly before he starts moving. Mike breaks the kiss with a gasp, head thrown back, body arching up beneath Harvey's. Seeing that long, pale neck exposed, Harvey thinks it would be a crime to leave it unblemished, so he latches on, sucking and biting a mark at the point where neck meets shoulder.

Mike's hands are firm on his back and he keeps chanting Harvey's name, over and over. Harvey keeps his movements short and sharp as their cocks rub together tantalizingly. He can feel every spot where their bodies touch, from his lips on Mike's neck all the way down to where Mike's thighs wrap around his hips.

Harvey pulls up so he can see Mike's face. He looks utterly wrecked, biting his lower lip, eyes closed and a contented moan escaping his lips.

"Mike," Harvey whispers, "look at me."

And Mike does, opening his eyes slowly. He smiles shyly for a moment and all those words Harvey was going to say get caught in his throat. So he kisses him instead, tongues moving easily together. He increases his tempo, getting close, thrusting deep and fast. All he can concentrate on is the way their bodies move together, warm and slick. He breaks their kiss but can't pull away entirely, faces pressed together so closely that they share the same breath. Mike moans, unabashedly, fingers digging into Harvey's skin as he scrambles for purchase.

They're both so close, breaths becoming nothing but short gasps. Mike's whole body seems to press in closer, desperate for release. He licks at Harvey's lips briefly before he says, "I love you."

The words were barely above a whisper, but Harvey feels like Mike just screamed them from the rooftops for everyone to hear.

He says it again. "I love you. Harvey, I love you."

Harvey is desperate to say it back, but it's just not enough. It's three tiny words, it can't even begin to encapsulate everything he feels for Mike, how he makes Harvey feel happy and infuriated and terrified and wondrous, how he makes Harvey better. He can't speak, buries his face into Mike's neck.

"Harvey," Mike gasps into his ear and then he stills as he comes.

Harvey keeps moving, a few more quick thrusts, the sweet slide of their bodies before he's coming too, his body shaking as he comes down from his orgasm. He collapses onto Mike, full body weight sinking onto Mike's, but the younger man doesn't seem to mind, arms wrapping around him as they both try and regain their breath.

After a few moments, Harvey lifts his head and presses his mouth to Mike's in a gentle kiss. As he rolls off him, Harvey slides a hand around the back of Mike's neck, smiles softly when he confesses, "I'm so in love with you."

 

 

 

 

Mike wakes slowly, his head fuzzy as he slips into consciousness. Soft morning light is streaming into the bedroom, and Mike feels warm and safe.

Harvey is curled up behind him, arm heavy over his side, his rhythmic breath tickling the back of his neck. Mike can't help it, breaking into a grin as the events of the previous evening go through his mind in glorious technicolor.

Harvey is obviously still sleeping, but Mike's in no hurry to wake him. He links his fingers with Harvey's and just lies there, content to just be in this moment, safe in the arms of the man he loves more than anyone in the world.

When Harvey stirs half an hour later, Mike turns in his arms so they're facing each other. Harvey smiles, sleepy soft, and Mike presses his mouth to Harvey's in a chaste but lingering kiss. It's the first time they've woken up together, and Mike is overwhelmed by how right this feels.

"Good morning," Mike says.

"Yes, it is," Harvey says, and Mike rolls his eyes at him, making Harvey chuckle.

Mike shifts closer, positioning himself so he's lying half atop Harvey. He can feel Harvey's skin against his own, warm and pliant beneath him. He kisses Harvey, doesn’t even care about morning breath, just needs to crawl inside Harvey's mouth and never leave.

"Would it be completely inappropriate if we just stayed in bed fucking all day?" Mike murmurs against Harvey's mouth, and he revels in the moan he gets in reply.

"Really? Even with my family in this very house?"

"Well, at least the kids are gone so we don't have to worry about them inadvertently walking in on us. I'm going to assume your dad and brother have enough sense to knock first."

" _Please_ stop talking about my family," Harvey groans.

Mike laughs and figures that stopping talking sounds like a great idea. He kisses Harvey, shifts his body so he's completely atop the older man, hand slowly inching down Harvey's chest until he takes Harvey's cock in hand. Harvey startles with surprise but instantly relaxes into Mike's touch.

He's never done this before, and there's that low level of fear that comes with the unknown (not to mention a slight surrealism that _he has his hand on Harvey's cock_ ), but he knows what he likes and figures that's a good place to start. Harvey certainly seems to have no complaints, stretching out beneath him, eyes closed and a smile playing at his lips.

Mike barely has a chance to revel in how quickly he gets Harvey off before the man himself is pushing him back to the bed, kissing his way down his chest before wrapping his mouth around Mike's cock. And it's fucking mind blowing. Mike knows he did okay for his first time, that Harvey enjoyed it, but it was like a lucky fluke against a seasoned pro. Harvey is _good_ , mouth and tongue moving like he's _hungry_ for it, and Mike can do absolutely nothing but enjoy the ride.

Mike's breathless when he comes down from his orgasm, and he laughs as Harvey moves back up his body. Harvey gives him a quizzical look but Mike just shrugs, kissing him and tangling their bodies together after Harvey collapses beside him.

They don't get up for hours, just stay within the confines of their bed, talking and laughing, kissing and touching. Mike had sort of been expecting some kind of awkwardness, that changing their relationship so drastically would make them uncertain with each other, but it's like everything has finally fallen into place. Like the last two years were just a build up to this moment, that this is who they were always meant to be.

They eventually roll out of bed and stumble into the shower (showering together only to save water of course). By the time they head downstairs, it's late morning and the house appears deserted. Sharing a confused look they split up, and Mike heads to the kitchen area. There's no one in sight, but he does find a note on the counter.

_Harvey and Mike,_   
_Gone out for brunch. We would've invited you, but it sounded like you were otherwise occupied. We'll be back in a few hours._   
_Nate._

Mike is torn between amusement and embarrassment, and when Harvey enters the room not long after he's read the note, he just hands him the paper before burying his head in Harvey's chest, laughing. Harvey's chest heaves with muted laughter as he reads, and then he scrunches the note up and throws it away.

Harvey makes them lunch, and they manage to keep their hands to themselves enough to make it through the meal. But afterwards, when Mike is cleaning up, Harvey crowds around him at the sink, hands on his hips and mouth sinking into his neck, and Mike surrenders, quickly turning and kissing him deeply. Harvey tries to strip him right there in the kitchen, but Mike refuses to have sex in Gordon's kitchen, so he extracts himself from Harvey's arms and races upstairs, laughing.

Mike knows that they're both overcome by the honeymoon stage of their relationship, but he doesn't care. Two years worth of restraint is being unleashed, and he doesn't think it's unreasonable or unheard of for that to take the form of lots and lots of sex.

An hour later, when Mike heads back downstairs, completely sated and blissed out (two words: Harvey's. Tongue.) he automatically heads to the sunroom and collapses on the day bed. The room is warm, the bed comfortable, and Mike never wants to move.

He's not alone for long. Harvey soon joins him, one of his dad's novels in hand. He sits at the opposite side of the sofa from Mike before settling in to read. Mike is content to just lounge around, dividing his attention between the view outside and the view at the other end of the bed.

Harvey manages to last over half an hour before putting the book aside and crawling down the sofa to him. Mike smiles as he approaches, somewhat proud that he managed to last this long. Harvey collapses beside him, legs tangled together, Harvey's hand slipping under the hem of Mike's sweater to brush idly against his stomach.

They talk for a while, and have just started making out lazily when they're interrupted by the sound of a throat being cleared. Mike instantly pulls away, blushing profusely with embarrassment when he sees Gordon standing in the doorway, looking at them with nothing but amusement. He tries to extract himself from Harvey but the older man isn't having it; Mike manages to shift up onto his elbows but doesn't get any further, Harvey keeping his hand under his shirt, entwined legs keeping him pinned in place.

"So, you're still here, Mike," Gordon says, like he's completely unsurprised by the fact.

Mike can't help ducking his head slightly in embarrassment. "Yeah. Sorry about last night."

Gordon waves him away, smiling indulgently at them. "I'm glad you got everything sorted out. One day you'll tell me the truth about what happened here, but for now I'll just say I'm glad you stayed."

"Me too," Mike says, and he can feel Harvey's hand on his stomach increase its pressure slightly.

"Well, I'll leave you two boys to it," Gordon says as he leaves.

Mike collapses back onto the bed, turns into Harvey and buries his head into his neck, mortified. And Harvey just laughs, brushing a kiss over the top of his head.

 

 

 

 

Harvey is happy.

He's never really been happy before. He'd been pleased, content, proud, and his default state of being 'not unhappy'. But this is different. It's a feeling that radiates through his entire body, spreading over every portion of his life. Work is going well, his family is happy and healthy, and he's in love with a man who, incredibly, loves him back.

He wants the feeling to last forever.

Harvey is never blindly optimistic. He's always if not expecting, then at least anticipating and preparing for the worst. Only a fool would put too much faith in things turning out well in this day and age. But sitting around the dinner table, eating good food and laughing with the three people he loves most in the world, he can't help but think that maybe, just maybe, things will work out.

And he decides he's going to do everything in his power to ensure that will happen.

So, hours later, when he and Mike are lying in bed, Harvey just needs to ask. Mike is lying between his legs, head on Harvey's stomach. He's pressing light kisses on Harvey's skin, while Harvey idly threads his fingers through Mike's hair.

He's more nervous than he'd thought he'd be, but he won't let that stop him. He takes a deep breath, before murmuring Mike's name. The younger man looks up at him, chin pressing into the skin of his stomach, and Harvey asks, "Will you marry me?"

Mike looks at him, confused. "I thought we were already getting married."

"I know, but I mean now. Like, this week."

Mike lifts his head up. "Are you serious?" he asks, unsure but excited.

Harvey nods. "Not to get all rom-com on you, but when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with someone-"

"Oh my God are you seriously quoting _When Harry Met Sally_ to me right now?" Mike asks, laughing.

Harvey chooses to ignore that and says, "So is that a yes?"

Mike just looks at him, kind of adoring and pitying all at once, and says, "Of course it's a yes."

And then Mike is kissing him, pressing their bodies together, and Harvey has one brief moment where he thinks that this could well be the happiest moment in his whole life before Mike's body slides against his and all rational thought leaves him.

The next morning, Harvey leaves Mike sleeping in their bed, and after slipping into his pajamas and detouring to the bathroom to freshen up, he pads downstairs to the kitchen. He moves around the kitchen easily enough, pulling ingredients and pans and making breakfast. Gordon wanders into the room about halfway through, so Harvey makes some extra for him and Nate before digging around in the cupboard to find a breakfast tray. He pours a glass of water and loads up a plate with golden French toast, taking the tray upstairs.

Mike looks up at him, smiling sleepily and rubbing at his eyes like a child, when Harvey enters the room. Harvey kicks the door closed behind him as he enters, shuffling over to the bed and waiting for Mike to sit before he places the tray over his lap.

"Seriously?" Mike says, looking between his breakfast and Harvey.

"Happy anniversary," Harvey says, and he can see Mike think about it for a moment before the penny drops.

Mike laughs. "I can't believe it's only been two weeks since this all started. Feels like a lifetime already."

"I really hope you mean that in a good way," Harvey deadpans.

"Of course I do. I can barely remember anything before that because it pales into insignificance compared to being with you."

Harvey wants to say something in reply, but instead finds himself kissing Mike, pouring every ounce of love he feels into that one embrace. And when they separate Mike smiles at him, like he heard Harvey loud and clear.

They eat breakfast in bed, and they're only halfway through when Mike asks, "Did you mean what you said last night?"

Harvey isn't exactly sure to which specific part Mike is referring, but he replies honestly, "Every word."

Mike takes a deep breath before smiling at Harvey. "So we're really gonna get married this week?"

Harvey nods. "As soon as possible."

"What are we going to tell your dad and brother?"

"The truth. That we can't wait, and we're going home to New York to get married. I'd like them to be there if possible – if that's okay with you?"

"Of course it is. I want them there too. And Owen and Maisie as well."

Harvey nods. "Hopefully Jemma will let Nate bring them down for the day."

"When are we going to tell them?"

Harvey thinks about it for a moment before deciding, "No time like the present. Come on."

So they get out of the bed, Mike dressing while Harvey stacks the plates and cutlery onto the tray. When they head downstairs Nate and Gordon are lounging on the couches in the main living room, Gordon reading the paper and Nate flicking through his ipad. Harvey can hear Mike greet them as he detours to the kitchen to leave their dishes in the sink before returning to the lounge and collapsing onto the couch beside Mike. Gordon looks up at them, and does a kind of double take when he looks at Harvey, like he can tell something's up.

This is confirmed when he puts the paper aside and says, "What is it?"

Nate looks up, curious, and Harvey splits his gaze between them when he says, "Mike and I are going back home to New York today."

"I thought you were staying for the week?" Gordon asks.

"We were. But..." Harvey looks at Mike, who smiles encouragingly at him. "We want to get married. This week. I'm sorry for cutting short the Specter family bonding time, but we can't wait, and we were hoping you'd come down to New York for the wedding."

"Are you serious?" Nate asks, and Harvey can't tell whether the question has a good or bad connotation. The question is quickly answered, because Mike is nodding and Nate is getting up off the couch, grinning like an idiot and crossing the room. "That's awesome. I am so there."

Harvey chuckles as he stands to hug his brother. Nate squeezes him tightly before pulling back and clapping Harvey on the arm.

"Any chance Owen and Maisie could be there too?" Harvey asks quietly, trying to keep his voice nonchalant. He knows how difficult it is for Nate, not having full custody, having his kids missing from important events and milestones, and he doesn't want him to feel in any way guilty or sad about it. But this is going to be one of the biggest days in Harvey's life, and he wants his whole family there.

"I'll see what I can do," Nate replies with a tight smile.

Harvey nods, and Nate immediately moves to pull Mike up from the couch to embrace him. Harvey watches for a moment, the image tugging at his heart strings, before his attention is pulled to his father. Gordon smiles warmly at him, and even though they don't speak he knows exactly what he's saying, how happy he is for Harvey, how proud he is of him. Harvey doesn't say anything, just smiles and embraces his father, taking a moment to bury his face in his shoulder as his dad's hand briefly cups around the back of his neck, a gesture Harvey remembers from childhood.

When they let go Gordon crosses the room to Mike, shakes his hand warmly. Harvey sees his dad lean in and whisper something to Mike, and he doesn't know what was said, only that it was short and made Mike smile softly, ducking his head as he nodded.

"When are you going?" Nate asks.

Harvey looks to Mike, who nods at him. "Right away."


	3. Chapter 3

Mike feels an unexpected emptiness as they drive away from Gordon's home, the house becoming smaller and smaller in the car's side mirror.

He never could have imagined when they drove up the driveway that first day that they'd be leaving this way. He's lived a lifetime within those walls. Everything is different now, and this small corner of the world will forever hold a special place in his heart. He's excited to be going back to New York, to be beginning his new life with Harvey, but he's also nervous about leaving this safe little bubble.

They're both quiet in the car, and Harvey reaches over and squeezes his thigh. Mike knows Harvey's feeling the same as he is, so he picks up Harvey's hand and presses a lingering kiss to the back of it.

When they arrive in New York they don't even go home first, just head straight to the City Clerk's office to obtain their marriage license. The queues are tedious, the paperwork even more so, but after several draining hours they walk out of the building, marriage license in hand.

Harvey drives them back to the car club to return the car, and Mike hails a cab and bundles all their belongings into it while Harvey deals with signing the car back in. They collapse into the back of a grimy cab, and Mike waits for some derisive comment from Harvey about the state of the car, but when he looks over at him he's just sitting there, half pressed against the door, eyes closed. Mike just smiles and leaves him be.

It's weird, walking into Harvey's condo (he almost thinks _their condo_ , but it's still too surreal, and, more to the point, this will always be Harvey's condo). He's always loved it here, and despite Harvey's reluctance to even let him in the door the first few times he crossed the threshold, he's always felt at home. But it's different this time. This _is_ his home now. It's not just somewhere he likes to hang out, it's not somewhere he's going to live to keep up a charade. It's real, it's permanent, and as terrifying as the thought is, he's just mostly overwhelmed by happiness.

So as soon as they're inside Mike just drops his bag, crowds into Harvey's space, and kisses him. He wraps his arms around the older man's shoulders, presses their bodies together as the kiss deepens. Harvey's hands press into the dip of his back, fingers grabbing at the material of his hoodie. Mike pushes them towards Harvey's (their) bedroom, fingers deftly undoing shirt buttons as they go, so as soon as they enter the room he can pull the offending fabric from Harvey's body. His hands immediately go to the button on Harvey's jeans, but they still when he's distracted by Harvey's mouth sliding down his neck. Mike does his best to strip Harvey while Harvey does his best to distract him, and it's all so ridiculously perfect.

"I've thought about this a lot," Mike says, before he even realizes it, and Harvey pulls back, eyes sparkling at him.

"Yeah?" Harvey asks, unzipping his hoodie and pushing it from his shoulders. His hands slip under Mike's tee, fingertips skating along his stomach.

"Are you kidding? All those times I'd show up here unannounced and some woman was lurking in your bedroom... I was completely jealous."

Harvey grins. He pulls Mike's top over his head before leaning in and kissing him. "What did you think about?"

But Mike ducks his head, cheeks flushing with embarrassment. Though he's not ashamed of his fantasies, he's definitely intimidated by Harvey's experience, and he doesn't want to come off in any way juvenile or pedestrian. So he doesn't answer, instead focusing on pushing Harvey's jeans down his hips.

"Do you want me to tell you what I thought about you?" Harvey asks, teasingly.

"I want you to get naked, that's what I want," Mike deadpans, and Harvey laughs.

Harvey steps back to kick off his shoes. Mike had already gotten rid of his in the other room, so he pulls off his own socks, pants and boxers, and as soon as Harvey is naked he breaches the gap between them, pressing his mouth to Harvey's as he walks Harvey to the bed. He follows Harvey down onto the soft mattress, whole bodies pressed together as they make out lazily.

Mike had been in a hurry before, felt a driving need to claim this room as their own, to cleanse it of the memory of everyone else who had crossed its threshold. But he doesn't feel that anymore. He doesn't care about anyone else who got here before him, because he's here now, and more importantly, no one else will be here after him. So now he wants to go slow, to make this last, to remember every moment and touch. His fingers card through Harvey's soft hair, body moving easily against his. He can feel them both hardening, and he pulls his mouth away with only minor reluctance, pressing his mouth to Harvey's neck, slowly working his way down to his chest.

"Okay, so tell me," Mike murmurs against his skin.

"Tell you what?" Harvey asks, and when Mike looks up it's to see the older man grinning at him, like he knows exactly what Mike's asking but he wants Mike to actually say it.

And Mike decides this is no time for unnecessary stubbornness, so he says, "Tell me how you thought about us," before returning to his task, trailing his tongue lightly down Harvey's stomach, feeling the skin flutter beneath him.

"I thought about everything," Harvey tells him. "I thought about how we'd get together, all the different ways it could happen. I imagined our first kiss. I pictured you in my mind when I got myself off, your mouth and body and hands and cock."

Mike groans. He bites gently into Harvey's skin, and the older man gasps.

"I thought about us in this bed, how you'd look riding my cock, hands pressed to my chest, your pale skin glistening as you tried to hold out as long as possible," Harvey continues, and the words are like an electric current through Mike's body. He looks up at Harvey as he wraps a hand around his cock, starting to pump. Harvey keeps Mike's gaze as he keeps talking. "I thought about lazy Sunday mornings where we're curled up on the couch, making out and getting each other off with languid hand jobs. I thought about how it'd feel when you pushed into me, so full and hard, me rubbing into the sheets, desperate for friction. I thought about-"

Mike cuts him off with a kiss, deep and dirty. "Stop talking," Mike says, pressing his body hard into Harvey's.

Harvey moans before flipping them over, grinding their bodies together. It feels like Harvey's hands are everywhere and Mike's body feels warm, fire coursing through his veins. Harvey is nibbling on Mike's collarbone when Mike says, "I want you to fuck me."

Harvey's head instantly flies up. He's looking at Mike, concerned and uncertain, but Mike can see the hints of excitement lurking there. "Are you sure you're ready for that?"

Mike nods. "I trust you," he tells him, leaning up and pressing a kiss to his lips. "I love you." He grazes his teeth along Harvey's chin. "I want you." He runs the tip of his tongue down Harvey's neck and, as soon as he starts making his way back up, Harvey meets him halfway, thrusting his tongue into his mouth in a deep kiss.

"I love you so fucking much," Harvey says against his lips, before diving in again.

When Harvey finally breaks away it's to lean over and reach into his bedside table to get out the appropriate paraphernalia. So clearly they are done talking about it, which relieves Mike, because he thinks if he had to talk Harvey into it, insist that he was ready, the mere act of talking about it might bring the nerves to the surface and he'd end up talking himself out of it. He's nervous, of course he is, but he meant what he said. He wants this, wants it with Harvey, doesn't want to wait any longer.

Harvey tosses the condom and lube on the bed beside them before returning to Mike. He acts like he's going in for a kiss before moving away at the last moment, instead pressing his mouth to the center of Mike's chest. He's not slow, which puts Mike at ease, because now that the decision's made he's desperate for it, doesn't want to drag this out to a near torturous state.

Harvey's fingers wrap lightly around the base of his cock before his mouth sinks down. Mike moans, rather loudly actually, as Harvey begins driving him insane with a near inhuman level of suction and a tongue that does things Mike didn't even know were possible. Just when Mike thinks he might lose his mind, Harvey pulls off to mouth at his balls. Mike's toes curl in the sheets, his whole body writhing, unsure if he wants more or less friction.

His mouth returns to his cock, licking up the shaft before sinking down, and then Mike feels the light pressure of Harvey's finger at his hole. He tenses slightly at the touch, from surprise more than anything else, but he eases into the touch. His finger is slick as it plays, skimming over a few times before gently breaching the ring of muscle.

Mike's tried this on himself a few times, so it's not a completely foreign concept, yet it still feels kinda new. Because the angle is different, Harvey's finger is slightly larger, and Mike has no control, doesn't know what to expect. But Harvey, not that Mike will ever tell him this, is a master at pretty much everything he does, and this is no different. He pushes in, slow but steady, and Mike can't breathe, so overwhelmed by the dual sensations.

Harvey pulls out, just focuses on the cock in his mouth for a few moments before pushing in again. His movements are quicker this time, and he soon adds a second finger. Mike can feel his breath hitching, so focused on the sensation of Harvey inside him.

Harvey is pressing soft kisses everywhere - his inner thighs, hips, lower stomach - as he continuously works Mike open. But Mike doesn't want to wait anymore. He's waited for years for this moment, and he can't wait any longer.

"Harvey," he manages to rasp out. There are other words, so many things he wants to say, all flowery words and declarations, but it seems he's incapable of speech beyond that one word. So he says it again. "Harvey."

The older man looks up at him, and Mike makes a concerted effort to lift his head and look at him. With a quick nod Harvey withdraws, and grabs the condom. Mike just stares at his face the whole time Harvey readies himself, and he's surprised to see a hint of nervousness there. But Mike doesn't have long to analyze that, because Harvey's put on the condom and added some extra lube and is crowding over Mike, kissing him deeply. He tastes vaguely different than before, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out why.

He can feel Harvey positioning his body as they kiss, and Harvey breaks away with one final, "Are you sure?"

Mike nods, raising a leg so it hitches over Harvey's hip, and Harvey pushes up onto his hands before reaching back down between them, positioning his cock at Mike's hole. And then he pushes in, slow but sure.

It doesn't hurt, it's just so different to anything he's experienced. Harvey stills inside him for a moment, allowing him to adjust. Mike looks up at Harvey, smiling softly. The moment feels like so much more than the simple mechanics of what's happening. It's the culmination of everything, not just the last couple of years, but their entire lives before that. Mike had said he didn't believe in fate, but he's not so sure anymore, because something inside him says that this right here, it was meant to be.

Harvey returns his smile, leaning down and kissing him before he starts moving. Mike moans, part surprise and part pleasure. His head pushes back into the pillow, eyes closed, all the better to concentrate on the sensation of Harvey moving inside him.

"Are you good?" Harvey asks.

"So. Fucking. Good."

It feels incredible. It's all new and full and slide and Mike can't breathe. His hands scramble along the dampening plane of Harvey's back, his body moving instinctively to counter Harvey's thrusts.

Harvey whispers, "Breathe, Mike," into his ear, and Mike makes a concerted effort to do just that, taking in a large lungful of air. Harvey presses quick kisses along his jaw line, and Mike tilts his head, kisses Harvey deeply.

He can feel the arousal pooling in his belly, his skin tingling with it. He pulls himself up, pushes Harvey down, presses their bodies even closer together. Harvey's thrusts are becoming slightly erratic, the change in tempo and pressure sending him hurtling ever closer to the brink. He feels like his blood is boiling as it flows through his veins, his whole body on fire as it's overloaded with sensations.

"Talk to me," Mike says, because he himself can't find the words, but he wants to be enveloped by the sound of Harvey's richly timbered voice.

"You feel amazing," Harvey says, without hesitation. "Better than I ever imagined."

Mike's body feels flushed, his breath coming in short hitches. He's never felt more _alive_.

"I love you."

Mike gets his lips to Harvey's neck, all tongue and teeth, and Harvey tips his head and kisses him.

"Are you close?" Harvey asks, lips brushing Mike's because he refuses to move any further away.

Mike nods, managing to sneak a hand between their slick bodies to wrap around his cock. He feels oversensitive from having it trapped between their bodies, caught in the slick slide friction, and he can't help but moan.

Harvey changes the angle, just slightly, thrusts slightly more shallow but in quickening pace. Mike's own hand starts to pump, and he tries to keep in rhythm with Harvey but it's no easy task.

"Fuck, Mike," Harvey groans, and he pushes in deep, crying out as he comes.

Mike can feel his impending orgasm threatening to break free, and he clutches desperately at Harvey, body going slightly rigid as he comes. The release feels amazing, and Mike appreciates the moment of utter stillness as they are both wrapped around and in each other. But then he falls back to the bed, a lungful of breath escaping his lips, and Harvey carefully withdraws to collapse on the bed beside him. All Mike knows is his damp skin and the sound of their breathing, and it feels like home.

 

 

 

 

When Harvey wakes up in the morning he presses a kiss to Mike's shoulder blade before slipping from the bed, pulling on some pajama pants and a t-shirt and padding to the lounge. He grabs his cell phone from his bag, still sitting in the middle of the room where he'd dropped it yesterday, and calls the Chilton Hotel.

They don't seem to take him seriously at first, but he soon makes it clear that yes, he really wants to book the Lancemore Room for a wedding asap, tonight if at all possible. They put him on hold and came back a minute later saying the room is available tomorrow afternoon.

Harvey books it straight away.

Task one complete, he makes breakfast. The smell seems to rouse Mike from sleep, because he appears just as it's ready, stumbling sleepily into the room. He heads straight for the kitchen. Mike kisses Harvey briefly, moving away before seemingly changing his mind and going back in for another kiss, deeper this time. Harvey chuckles against his lips before playfully pushing him away, ushering him to the table so they can eat.

After breakfast, while Mike is showering, Harvey calls in reinforcements. When Mike's done in the bathroom Harvey jumps in the shower, and he's dressed and just starting to go over the plan with Mike when Donna arrives.

She comes bearing coffee, and Mike grins when he sees her, taking the coffee from the cardboard tray and pressing a kiss to her cheek. Harvey can tell Donna's surprised by the gesture, and when Mike is walking away she smiles softly at his retreating figure. But then she catches Harvey watching and her face is instantly schooled. Harvey doesn't do her the disservice of mocking her, and besides, given how he's been looking at Mike lately, who is he to talk?

"So, you're back early," Donna says once they've settled on the couch, and Harvey can hear the implied question actually being asked – _why are you back early?_.

"Donna, we need your help," Mike says.

"Of course you do," Donna says matter-of-factly. "What for this time?"

"We're getting married. Tomorrow."

Donna looks back and forth between them a few times. Harvey can tell they've surprised her, and he revels in the moment, because it's such a rare one. But then she nods, takes a sip of her coffee before putting it aside and pulling her tablet out of her designer bag.

"Okay, so I take it you need me to help plan." At Harvey's nod, Donna taps out a few things on the tablet and then asks, "So what have you organized so far?"

"We've booked the library room at the Chilton for the ceremony, and that's about it."

If Donna seems fazed by the sheer amount of work to do in a day and a half, she doesn't show it. Hell, knowing the kind of feats she pulls off at work, this is probably not the most amount of work she's had to do in such a small timeframe.

"So we need to organize a justice of the peace, reception venue, guest list, suits, rings, photographer, gift registry, flowers, cake... Anything else?"

"What else could there be?" Mike asks, and when Harvey glances over at him he looks sufficiently freaked out by the sheer volume of things to be done. But really, Harvey's thought about this, and it's not going to be as complicated as Mike thinks.

"Mike, if it's okay with you, I say we keep things simple." Mike nods vehemently, making Harvey smile. "Okay," Harvey says, turning to Donna. "You can start by taking the flowers and cake off the list. It's only going to be small, there's no need for any of that. The gift registry too - we really don't need any random kitchen appliances. I'll call Anthony Morrison and see if he's free to perform the ceremony. I say we book a restaurant for the reception, just have dinner with everyone afterwards."

Mike looks relieved already. "Sounds good to me."

"Do we really need a photographer?" Harvey asks, to no one in particular.

"Yes," Donna and Mike say in unison. Mike adds a ,"Jinx," which Donna ignores in favor of saying, "Trust me, you might not think it's necessary now, but in a few years you'll be thanking me for it." She looks down to her list for a moment, and then gets her fingers poised to type as she asks, "So, first things first, guest list?"

"Gordon, Nate, Owen and Maisie," Mike says, earning a grin from Harvey.

"You and Jessica, obviously," Harvey adds.

"Rachel, Harold. I'd like to invite Jenny, she's still one of my best friends."

"You seriously want to invite your ex to our wedding?" Harvey asks, eyebrow raised.

Mike just laughs. "I know you are in no way threatened by my relationship with Jenny."

"But what if she decides you're her last chance at happiness and she tries to steal you back and you run off into the sunset like some cliché romantic comedy?" Harvey asks jokingly (okay, like ninety percent jokingly).

Mike just looks at him, before standing from the couch and advancing on him. Harvey automatically leans back at the approach, pressing into the back of the couch, and apparently that's exactly what Mike was hoping for, because he sinks down into Harvey's lap, fingertips light as they cradle his face, lips brushing together in a kiss that Mike wastes no time deepening. Harvey doesn't even care that they have an audience, hands automatically resting on Mike's thighs, lips moving easily against his.

When Mike breaks away, there's no smile or glint in his eyes. It's completely serious and earnest. His fingertips trail lightly down the short stubble of Harvey's cheek and he whispers, "No one will ever come between us. You're it for me, okay?"

Harvey nods, and then Mike does smile.

"And the only rom-com cliché's I'm interested in are the ones you randomly sprout when you ask me to marry you."

Harvey chuckles, kissing him again. By the time they're done and Mike climbs off him, sitting down beside him on the couch, Donna isn't even looking at them, too focused on the screen in front of her. She does, however, in the silence that follows, ask, "Are you done?" without even looking up from her screen.

"Yeah," Harvey says, winking at Mike.

"Okay, so here's the plan," Donna says, finally looking up at them. "Harvey, you're in charge of organizing the judge, or finding a backup if he's not available. Mike, you can go and get the rings. It's too late for invitations, so you can split up the list of invites and call everyone. You'll both need to go and see Rene today to organize your suits. I'll look for available restaurants and photographers and create a shortlist for you to choose from when you're done with everything else. Sound good? Anything else I've missed?"

"We should book accommodation for your family at the Chilton," Mike says to Harvey.

Donna is already making notes, and Harvey nods, adding, "You should probably book something for us too."

"You don't wanna come back home?" Mike asks.

"Chances are we'll end up at a restaurant on the other side of the city. I'd rather we have somewhere close by at the end of the night."

Mike grins at him, reaching over and placing a hand on his thigh. Donna has already pulled out her cell and is dialling someone, so Harvey looks back at Mike and says, "Is that everything?"

"I think so. I've never planned a wedding before. I have no framework of reference or basis for comparison. If we've forgotten something I have no idea what it is," Mike chuckles.

Harvey shrugs nonchalantly. "It's doesn't matter. As long we end the day married then everything else is just trimming."

When Donna gets off the phone she informs them she's set up an appointment with Rene, and checking her watch she says they better leave straight away if they're going to make it on time. Harvey gets out his laptop for her, so she can set up camp here as she tries to find the photographer and restaurant and makes their hotel bookings. Harvey offers to leave one of his credit cards but she just laughs at him.

"Harvey, please, I might not have a genius memory like some people but I totally memorized all your card numbers years ago."

"I don't know whether to be impressed or terrified," Harvey tells her.

Donna beams. "Then all is as it should be. Go."

 

 

 

 

The moment Rene wrangles him into the first suit, Mike begins to wish they'd just eloped to Vegas in jeans and a t-shirt. Or Hawaii, where they could get married barefoot on the beach.

And Harvey, the smug bastard, just laughs at Mike's pain. Because of course it took him and Rene all of about two minutes to pick something for Harvey. For the first time Mike wishes he'd gotten all his suits from Rene, because then Rene would know his size and style and the process would go much more smoothly, like it did with Harvey.

Seriously, Harvey just walked in and said they were getting married and Rene immediately pulled out what ended up being the perfect suit. It was a medium-grey color, and though the cut was the same as the suits Harvey normally wore it didn't look at all lawyer-y. The material was slightly thicker, more textured, and it made Mike want to run his fingers all over it. The suit jacket had a subtle plaid pattern, and it was paired with a simple white shirt and a black tie with an understated embossed paisley pattern. Obviously it fit him perfectly and looked amazing and Mike was torn between telling him he had to wear that suit always and tearing the outfit right off him, bystanders be damned.

Of course, finding his own suit is nowhere near as easy. Harvey's outfit is perfect; not quite corporate, that perfect balance between dressy enough for the occasion but casual enough for the intimacy of the event. But the ones that Rene pulls for Mike make him feel like's he playing dress-ups in ill-fitting suits, or even worse, trying on outfits for work. They're not bad, they're just - not right.

After the fifth suit Mike's starting to get tired and frustrated, despairing that they'll never find something. He glances over at Harvey, and the older man heads over to him, grasping his upper arms lightly and asking, "What is it?"

"They're all just so wrong," Mike groans. "But I don't know what I want either."

Harvey nods. "Let's try something." He then cups a hand over Mike's eyes. "I want you to just take a moment, picture tomorrow in your mind. Tell me what you see."

Mike takes a deep breath, allows the vision to come to him. He imagines Harvey in the suit he just picked out, smiling at him, putting a ring on his finger. He doesn't see himself, doesn't see the guests or even the room they're standing in, all he can see is Harvey.

"I see you," Mike says, softly. "That's all. Just you."

He can feel Harvey drop his hand, so he opens his eyes again, blinking in the light as he looks at Harvey. The older man keeps his gaze for a moment, staring into his eyes, before he nods, smiling as he steps back off the dais and heading back to Rene.

Mike watches on curiously as Harvey whispers something into his ear, and then Rene is grinning, exiting the showroom to the storeroom out back. Mike quirks an eyebrow, but Harvey remains silent. And then Rene returns, and when Mike sees the suit lying across his arms, he grins.

It feels right, putting this suit on, and when he steps out of the changing room he barely notices the smiles of Rene and his assistant. All he sees is Harvey, looking at him like he's never seen before, and Mike detours to his fiancé to press a quick kiss on his lips before stepping up on the dais.

Rene flutters around him, surveying and pinning, and Mike just stares at himself in the mirror. It's perfect. The suit jacket is a color Mike can only describe as a dark slate blue, and it's paired with dark grey pants. The cut of the jacket is lean, the lapels thin, and it sits on his shoulders with ease. There is a tie in a matching shade, and his shirt is a simple, plain white.

Rene is commenting about some quick alterations they can do by tomorrow to make sure it fits perfectly, but Mike doesn't hear him. An idea steals into his mind, and he grins, pulling on Rene's sleeve and whispering it into the tailor's ear.

Rene looks amazed at the suggestion, asking incredulously, "Really?"

Mike nods. "Really."

"If only you were this open to suit shopping your first time here," Rene says as he walks away, but a grin softens the words.

"What's going on?" Harvey asks when they're alone.

"You'll see," Mike teases.

When Rene re-enters the room, Mike tells Harvey to close his eyes, and after a brief grumble he assents. Mike pulls the tie from around his neck, and because he still has no idea how to do the damn things, Rene ties the bowtie for him.

"Okay," Mike says when he's done, "Open your eyes."

Harvey's jaw literally drops open when he sees Mike in the bowtie. It matches the color of his pants, pulling the whole outfit together, and he can tell Harvey loves it as much as he does.

Rene continues with his nipping and tucking, and once done he promises it will be ready by the end of the day. Mike is about to head back to the changing room to get dressed when he hears Harvey call Rene's name.

"Any chance you could find me a tie to match his jacket?" Harvey asks.

Mike grins, and Rene does too when he replies, "I'm sure I can find something."

 

 

 

 

Once the suits have been sorted it's time for lunch, so they find a random hot dog cart and grab a quick bite to eat. Figuring now is as good a time as any, they each get on their cells and call up everyone they want to invite. Harvey's first call is to Judge Morrison, and Harvey rolls his eyes at Mike as he listens to Anthony laugh down the line at Harvey's surprising news. But he agrees, even going so far as to call the request 'an honor', and Harvey gives him the time and location and says he'll see him tomorrow.

Harvey then calls home. It's Gordon who answers, so Harvey gives him all the details, tells him the address of the hotel, lets him know they're booking rooms for him and Nate. His dad doesn't seem at all surprised that they've managed to get things moving along so quickly. Harvey knows that Mike has more calls to make than he does, so he chats amiably to his dad for a while, and when he eventually hangs up, it's with his dad saying he looks forward to seeing them both tomorrow before bidding him goodbye.

The next person on the list is Jessica. He does feel slightly guilty that he's inviting her via telephone, not seeing her in person, but the time restraints being what they are there is little choice in the matter.

It's still the middle of a work day, so he does her the courtesy of calling her work number in case she's busy. Once he gets past her assistant, he can tell she's surprised that he's calling her - since he's still on vacation - but she asks him how his break is going and he asks how work's going and it's all very pleasant.

"So, Harvey, care to tell me the reason you're calling? Because I know it's not just to say hello," she says after a few minutes of idle chit chat.

Harvey smiles. He's always loved how no-nonsense she is. "Well, Mike and I are getting married tomorrow, and I wanted to invite you. I know this might be a surprise since you didn't invite me to yours, but I decided to be the bigger person and let that go."

"Really, Harvey? You hide an entire relationship from me - with your subordinate and under my nose, I might add - and you're still mad I didn't tell you about a relationship that didn't last while you were living in another state?" she chuckles.

Harvey laughs, and decides not to press the subject. "So, will you be there?"

There is a pause, long enough for Harvey to feel a prickling of concern, before Jessica's voice comes over the line. "Of course I will."

"Thank you, Jessica," he says, sincere. He gives her all the details and hangs up the phone.

He's done with his share of the calls, so he just needs to wait for Mike to be done before they can head off for their next task. But apparently Mike doesn't know how to invite someone to an event and quickly end the conversation. Because seriously, he's calling people to invite them to a wedding, so how the hell is Mike now talking about the relative merits of the latest Luc Besson film?

Harvey just glares at Mike, who, caught out, blushes and stammers down the line that he has to go and he'll see them tomorrow. When he hangs up the phone and opens his mouth to speak, Harvey just holds up a hand and says, "I don't want to know."

Mike has to make one last phone call, and with Harvey listening in he keeps it short and simple.

The next item on the list is their rings, so Harvey decides to keep the rom-com theme going by hailing a cab and telling the driver to take them to Tiffany's on Fifth Ave. Yes, it's slightly cliché, and wouldn't ordinarily be his first choice, but the decision is worth it for Mike's face alone when they walk in the front door.

Choosing the rings is easier than choosing the suits (well, Mike's suit). Harvey is surprised by how overwhelmed he is by all the choices, but when he looks to Mike the younger man is clearly feeling no such compunction. Mike immediately points to three different rings, and when he tries on the second one decides that it's the one.

Harvey is too busy staring at the platinum band around Mike's left ring finger to even notice the salesman trying to get his attention. He just stares at it, unprepared for how overcome he feels by seeing the polished material against Mike's skin. He's honestly never put too much thought into wedding rings before, but seeing it there, a physical manifestation of their commitment, a signal to all and sundry that Mike isn't available, that they belong to each other, it reverberates around his chest.

He's only pulled out of the daze by Mike tugging on his arm, and when he looks up it's to see his fiancé grinning at him, asking, "You still with us?"

Harvey smiles, tries to shake it off, embarrassed. "Of course."

"Would you care to look at anything?" the salesman asks.

Harvey glances into the cabinet, but his eyes trail back to the ring which Mike is now sliding off his finger. "Are there any that would go with Mike's?"

The salesman smiles, pulling out two rings. They both look fairly similar, are just different widths. They have a similar finish to Mike's ring, but where Mike's band was square in shape these are slightly more rounded. They're not the same, they don't match, but they complement Mike's ring.

Harvey tries them both on, and quickly decides on the thicker band. And because nothing could go one hundred per cent smoothly, of course Mike's ring fits perfectly but they don't have the ring Harvey chose in his size. The salesman apologizes profusely, says they can get their in-house jewellers to resize the ring or he can get the thinner version as they have his size in stock.

"If I get the band resized will it be ready by tomorrow?" Harvey asks.

The salesman looks slightly panicked, and he excuses himself to the other end of the counter and picks up the phone. While they watch him talk to God knows who, Harvey can't help but mutter, "Is anything going to go smoothly today?"

Mike doesn't say anything, just leans in closer, chin pressing into his shoulder and fingers wrapping around his hand.

The salesman slides back and says, "If you need it by tomorrow I can put a rush on it. It should be ready in time. And I can also put your size ring in the other design aside for you in case it isn't ready in time so you're not left empty handed."

Harvey nods, relieved. "Okay, let's do it."

They fill in the appropriate paperwork and Harvey pulls out his wallet to pay for the rings but Mike beats him to it. He hands over his card to the salesman, who takes it and begins processing the payment, not even noticing the looks passing between his two customers.

Harvey wants to insist on paying, but he can tell by the jut of Mike's jaw and the look in his eyes that he's just daring Harvey to fight him on this. And Harvey thinks about it, thinks about them moving forward as equals, remembers how when they first met Mike hated spending five hundred dollars on five different suits and yet today he just dropped several thousand dollars on two pieces of jewellery without even blinking, and he bites back any argument he was going to make. Because Mike is his partner now, his equal, and Harvey's man enough to admit that it might be a hard habit to break, not always treating Mike like a subordinate, but he figures where better to start? So he nods at Mike, putting his wallet away, and Mike smiles because can see that Harvey gets it.

 

 

 

 

Mike feels sufficiently exhausted by the time they make it home.

Donna's sitting at the kitchen counter, glass of white wine in hand as she looks at the laptop. "How'd it go?" she asks when they walk in the door.

Mike barely grunts in reply, heading straight past her to collapse face first onto the couch.

"That good, huh?" Donna laughs.

Mike rolls over to see Donna has twisted in her chair to face him. Harvey is standing by the couch, the couch that Mike is taking up the entirety of, so Mike lifts his feet, allowing Harvey to sit down before he puts his feet in Harvey's lap.

"It was fine," Harvey tells her. "How did things go for you?"

"Good. I've booked Gordon and Nate adjoining rooms. Nate's is a double in case the kids can make it, and I've booked you two a suite. I've narrowed it down to three restaurants and two photographers, whom I've contacted and are all available tomorrow. What did you want to look at first?"

"Restaurant," Mike says, then immediately regrets it, because it makes his stomach growl.

"Okay," Donna says, bringing the laptop over and setting it on the coffee table in front of them. Mike reluctantly sits so he can see the screen better. "They are all in the same neighborhood as the Chilton, so there won't be much distance to travel." She pulls up the browser that has the websites for all three restaurants, one in each browser tab, before dropping into the single chair next to the couch and allowing them to peruse.

Harvey and Mike silently browse the options, looking at their photo galleries, and, at Mike's insistence, their menus. Once they've looked at all three Mike quickly decides on the last one, and when he announces this Harvey just looks at him and grins, "You only want them because they're the only restaurant with burgers on the menu."

Mike grins, doesn't even bother to deny it. "Come on, Harvey. Don't make me eat all that fancy crap at my own wedding." Harvey rolls his eyes, and because he looks like he's about to argue, Mike pipes up with, "And think of poor Owen and Maisie. We can't feed them trout with black truffle sauce or duck confit or any of those ridiculous dishes."

Harvey chuckles. "Fine," he says, then turns to Donna. "Book it."

Donna is already dialing, and as she puts the phone up to her ear she says, "I'll book their private dining room, have a bit of space and privacy. The other browser has the photographer information if you want to start looking at that."

Harvey clicks over into the other browser, and the two of them look through their portfolios. Harvey immediately decides on Rose Faber Photography, and when Mike asks why he says because the photos from the first photographer looked too "pose-y".

Donna is busy making phone calls, so Harvey squeezes Mike's knee before getting up and heading to the kitchen to make them an early dinner. Mike watches as Harvey moves easily around the kitchen, as Donna talks on her cell and taps away at her tablet, the way the two old friends talk once Donna's off the phone. Mike feels overwhelmed with a sense of home and contentment, but at the same time, there is something wrong, something that sits low in his stomach that he does his best to ignore. Mike smiles whenever Harvey looks over at him, answers whenever Donna asks a question, but as the minutes pass the trepidation starts to spread.

At dinner, the three of them sitting around the dining table, Donna goes over the schedule for tomorrow. Mike, mind still elsewhere, makes a concerted effort to listen. She's made an appointment for them both at Harvey's barber for a shave and hair trim in the morning. Then Mike will go have his last fitting with Rene and pick up the suits while Harvey goes and picks up the rings. They'll have to be at the Chilton to meet with their Event Manager by two to go over everything before the ceremony starts at half past three, so they should get there just before that to check in.

It all sounds so simple, and the three of them eat and they chat and Mike can't help but feel like something's missing. There's something they've forgotten about. There's something in him that screams in warning, but he doesn't know what it is.

After dinner Donna suggests they go out, have an impromptu bachelor party for them both, and relief floods through Mike's veins when Harvey politely declines. Donna makes some comment about them celebrating in private, and she makes to leave, packing away her belongings and shrugging on her coat.

Mike, because politeness was drilled into him from his Grammy, crosses the room and kisses her goodbye, puts on a big smile and says he'll see her tomorrow, before turning and crossing the condo to his and Harvey's bedroom. He strips down to his t-shirt and boxers, making a point to put his clothes in the hamper instead of leaving them on the floor, before crawling into bed. It isn't remotely near bed time, but he just wants to be in here, wrapped up in the warmth he always feels in this room. He sits in bed, leaned back against the bed headboard. He can hear Harvey moving around the apartment, cleaning up the kitchen, loading the dishes into the dishwasher. He knows Harvey will come in and see him sooner or later, and Mike thinks he's cleaning up now to give Mike a bit more space before he does so.

Mike really fucking loves Harvey for that.

It's probably ten minutes later that Harvey walks into the bedroom. Mike looks up and meets his gaze when the older man enters, and Harvey looks slightly guarded but mostly just concerned. He sits on the bed in front of Mike and asks, "What's wrong?"

Mike had no doubt that Harvey knew something was up with him. Harvey knows him better than anyone in the world, and he knows that anytime Mike is willingly this silent that something's wrong.

"You haven't changed your mind, have you?" Harvey asks, before Mike even has the chance to speak, and desperately wanting to reassure Harvey that that isn't what this is about, he shakes his head, leaning forward and kissing Harvey, a slow but lingering press of lips.

"No, of course not. It's just..." Mike doesn't know how to say this, but he knows they need to talk about it now, that they've been avoiding the topic too long. "In all the excitement of us getting together for real and planning the wedding and everything, we haven't really talked about the fact that I'm likely to get deported soon."

"You're _not_ -"

"You don't know that," Mike interrupts, Harvey's lectures be damned. "It's probably just as likely that they find against us as for us. And that would've sucked had we just gotten married and been secretly pining for each other. But now, now that we know the truth and are getting married for real, I can't even think about what'll happen if they reject us, but I can't _not_ think about it either. What if we get married and I'm still denied residency? What happens then?"

In all honesty Mike isn't expecting an actual answer from Harvey. Because he doesn't think there is one, can't imagine that Harvey has even thought about this in the whirlwind that has been the last three days (and fuck, has it really only been three days since they got together?).

Harvey just reaches over, wraps Mike's hand in the two of his. "Do you trust me?"

Mike furrows his eyebrows in confusion at such a question, but answers with an adamant, "Yes, you know I do. More than anyone."

Harvey nods. "Good. So trust me now. You are _not_ going to get deported. I won't allow it. And if they try, I will fight like hell to keep you here. You know I will." Mike opens his mouth to interrupt, to ask that one question he needs answered. But because Harvey really does know him better than anyone, he beats him to it. "Yes, Mike. In an absolute worst case scenario where you were deported and couldn't return, of course I'd go to Canada with you."

Mike just leans forward, pulls Harvey to him, pressing their mouths together in a desperate kiss. He moves back, dragging Harvey with him, the older man pushing onto his knees so he can move into Mike's lap, pressing their bodies together. He tries to say, "I love you," against Harvey's lips, but every time he tries, Harvey swallows the words with his mouth.

 

 

 

 

Harvey's first thought when he wakes up in the morning is: _I'm getting married today._

It's still early, so he leaves Mike sleeping beside him and quietly dresses before heading downstairs to the building's gym. It's been too long since he had a good work out (of the non-sexual variety that is), and he keeps a constant pace on the treadmill, wary of not pushing himself too hard on today of all days.

He works out for an hour, and then heads back up to the apartment, heading straight to the en suite to shower. Mike's still in bed when he passes, sleeping soundly.

The next few hours are just so achingly normal that an outside observer would have no idea of the day's significance. Harvey showers and dresses, makes breakfast. Mike stumbles out of the bedroom in his pajamas. They watch the next episode of _Battlestar_ as they eat. Harvey knows intellectually that today is different, but it doesn't feel that way, and he takes it as a good sign. There's no indecision, no worry, just the day lying ready and waiting before them.

Then comes what Harvey internally refers to as the 'errands' portion of the day. They head downtown to his barber and are sufficiently pampered for an hour as Joe gets them cleaned up. Then they hail separate cabs and Mike heads to Rene's while Harvey drives up Fifth Ave. The same salesman from yesterday is working, and when he checks their order he comes back grinning brightly, telling Harvey his ring was resized in time. He tries it on, and it fits perfectly. He watches the salesman give both rings one last polish before they are placed in the one blue Tiffany box.

Harvey makes it back to the apartment first, so he starts packing his bag. There isn't much to pack, since they're only staying one night, but he makes sure to include the essentials. Mike's still not home by the time he's done, and at a loss of what else to do, he collapses on the couch and finds something on his DVR to watch (because there is absolutely nothing of intellectual value on in the middle of a weekday).

Mike arrives home half an hour later, two suit bags slung over his arm. Mike smiles at him as he walks past, presumably to hang the suits up in their walk-in.

"Everything go okay?" Harvey asks when Mike sits down on the couch beside him.

"Yup. You?"

"Fine."

They sit in silence for a few minutes, watching TV. It only lasts for a few minutes before Mike turns to him and says, "Shouldn't we be doing something? It's our wedding day, we shouldn't just be sitting here watching TV."

Harvey laughs. "What do you suggest?"

Mike seems to think about it for a moment before turning back to him with what Harvey can only describe as a wicked grin on his face. Knowing exactly what Mike's thinking, he shakes his head, ignoring Mike's pout.

"How about we go grab some lunch so you don't pass out halfway through the ceremony?" Harvey suggests, and Mike grumbles like he's annoyed, but he's actually the first one off the couch.

They grab a light bite to eat at Harvey's favorite neighborhood restaurant. Mike immediately feels at home, and Harvey marvels at his life, how backwards everything between the two of them happened. He should've taken Mike here on a date, or maybe even a not-date-but-still-hoping-something-happens-anyway meal. And yet, here they are, eating here together for the first time on the day they're getting married. It's completely insane, and yet Harvey wouldn't change a thing. He and Mike have delved head first into situations at a breakneck speed since the moment they met. That's just who they are.

After lunch they head back to the condo. Mike packs his bags while Harvey heads into the walk-in and examines their suits. They look perfect.

"Don't forget your dress shoes," Harvey says, running his fingertips along the sleeve of Mike's jacket.

"I haven't," Mike calls back from the bedroom across the hall where his belongings still live.

"And your cufflinks," Harvey adds.

"Seriously, we aren't even married yet, quit nagging me," Mike says, but Harvey can hear the amusement in his voice.

Harvey chuckles, and when Mike enters the walk-in a few minutes later to get his cufflinks he holds up a hand to Harvey and says, "Not a word."

Harvey mimes a zip over his mouth, grinning the whole time. Mike's packed not long later, and he grabs both their bags while Harvey grabs their suits and they head downstairs to call a cab.

"Do you have the rings?" Mike asks after they slide into the backseat.

"Yes, I have the rings," Harvey says, patting his pocket, and Mike reaches over and does the same, though Harvey can't tell whether it's so he's certain too or if he's just using it as an excuse to cop a feel.

They pull up outside the hotel and a porter takes their bags and suits while they head inside. They go to reception to check in, and once the receptionist finds their booking she says, "I see you've booked the honeymoon suite. Congratulations."

Harvey chuckles, thinking _Thanks, Donna_. "Thank you, but we're not married yet. Ceremony's still a few hours away."

She places their room card on the desk. "Well in that case, break a leg."

Mike laughs, taking the card. "We'll try."

"We have an appointment with Ellie Hawkins. Do you know where we could find her?"

"I'll let her know you're here," she says, picking up the phone and doing just that.

Harvey and Mike linger together in the lobby for a few moments. There are people coming and going, it's all utterly normal, and Harvey can't help but remember the last time they were here, the day that changed their lives forever.

"It's surreal, huh?" Mike says, and Harvey knows they're both thinking about that day two years ago.

"Yeah," Harvey says, reaching over and squeezing his hand.

Ellie finds them not long later, shaking their hands in greeting and showing them to the Lancemore Room. It's pretty much as Harvey remembered, though they seemed to have moved the furniture around a bit in order to make the space more accessible for their event. Ellie is explaining how it will run, that they have the room from 3pm for their ceremony half an hour later, and they will have light refreshments from 4pm and the room booked until 5pm. A sign will be posted in the lobby in a few minutes to direct their guests, and Harvey gives her the name of their photographer and the Judge marrying them so she can greet them and go through everything they need to know when they arrive.

Harvey does all the talking, because it quickly became apparent that Mike was too busy taking everything in to be of any use. Harvey catches his eye when he talks, and Mike smiles, pleased with the room.

Once all the details are settled, Ellie leaves them alone. "Well?" Harvey asks Mike, who is still meandering around the room, looking at all the details.

Mike smiles, crossing the room and kissing him. "I love it."

They head upstairs to their suite. It's massive, and Harvey thinks it's going to be wasted on them since they're only here one night. They end up in the bedroom, and Harvey notes with gratitude that their suits have already been hung in the closet.

Harvey checks his watch. "So, we have about half an hour to kill until we need to start getting ready. Any ideas?"

Mike wiggles his eyebrows, crossing the room and flopping on the bed, crooking his finger in a 'come here' gesture. Harvey laughs, but kicks off his shoes and crawls onto the bed, leaning down and kissing Mike deeply. Mike returns the embrace, but thankfully doesn't attempt to take things further.

Harvey lies down beside Mike, both of them on their sides to face each other. Harvey runs a hand through Mike's short locks, and Mike sighs, closing his eyes.

"Is it weird that I'm worried that nothing's gone wrong?" Mike murmurs.

Harvey chuckles. "You mean you'd prefer if something had?"

"Of course not. But it just feels so easy. Is it meant to be this easy?"

Harvey nods, even though Mike doesn't see, but then Mike doesn't press for any answer anyway.

They lie together in silence, and Harvey can't get over how right this feels. There are no nerves, no worrying about this being a mistake or considering the possibility that they won't work out. He's enveloped by a sense of certainty, of _knowing_ that this is the best decision he'll make in his whole life.

It's surprisingly easy to lose track of time, just lying there together on top of the covers. Sometimes Mike will close his eyes, and Harvey just stares at his face, maybe runs light fingertips along his jaw line or the curve of his neck. And then Mike will open his eyes, and they just lie there, staring unabashedly at each other. The silence isn't awkward, which speaks volumes to Harvey. He's never liked silence, always thought that if someone wasn't speaking it was because they were too busy planning their next attack. But it was never like that with Mike. From day one they could talk for hours on end or spend half the day working together in his office in near total silence, and it was just so normal. He's never had that with anyone, and he knows now why that is. Only Mike could be that person for him, the one person in the whole world who was meant to fit in his life like he was made for it. Because he was.

When the time comes Harvey rouses Mike with a kiss, saying, "Come on, we should get ready. You go shower first."

Mike slowly blinks his eyes open, nodding and kissing Harvey quickly before grabbing his toiletry bag from his bag on the floor and heading to the bathroom. Harvey seriously considers joining him but decides at this point it would be counterproductive, so when he hears the water running he instead pulls out their suits and lays them on the bed, before going to their bags and pulling out everything else they'll need.

When Mike leaves the bathroom Harvey enters it, grabbing a quick shower. He dries off, wrapping the towel around his waist before re-entering the bedroom, and when he steps into the room the first thing he sees is Mike, buttoning his shirt and looking fucking delectable. He forces himself to look away, instead heads to the bed and begins dressing.

When Harvey is dressed in everything bar his jacket, he looks over at Mike to find the younger man fighting a losing battle with his bowtie. Smiling indulgently, he crosses the room and stands in front of him, taking the task from his hands. Mike smiles in gratitude, and Harvey can feel his gaze on his face while he ties the bowtie.

"Is it weird you're helping me dress for our wedding? In fact, come to think of it, shouldn't we have spent the night apart and not seen each other until the ceremony or something?"

Harvey can't help but laugh. "Really? Given how everything happened between us to get us to this point are you seriously worrying about tradition _now_?"

Mike chuckles in resignation, and task done, Harvey steps back to admire his handiwork. He's overwhelmed by the vision in front of him: Mike's pale skin against the dark suit, the color of his jacket making his blue eyes even brighter, his lips quirking into a small smile.

"How do I look?" Mike asks, arms wide. Harvey can tell he's going for cocky but it comes out much more honest, and Harvey only has one word. "Perfect."

Mike laughs, breaching the gap between them to cup his hands lightly on Harvey's cheeks, pressing their lips together in a soft kiss. "Who knew you were so sappy?" he says between kisses.

"Hey, Mike?" Harvey murmurs, not pulling his mouth away.

"Hmmm?"

"Let's go get married."

Mike nods, but makes no move to go anywhere, just keeps kissing him. Harvey stops their embrace, forehead pressed to Mike's for a moment before he steps back. He heads to the bed and shucks on his jacket, doing one last check in the mirror. Mike joins him, adjusting his tie and brushing the length of his suit jacket.

"Okay," Harvey says, taking his hand. "Let's go."

Harvey leads them out of the room, and they're halfway across the suite when Mike says his name. He looks back at Mike, who's grinning when he says, "The rings?"

Harvey freezes for a moment before letting go of Mike's hand, going back to the bedroom to get the rings, pointedly ignoring Mike's laughter the whole time.

When they make it to the library room everyone's already there, mingling happily. The first people Harvey sees are his father and brother, and then he's quickly distracted by two small people screaming his name as they run across the room to him. Overjoyed, Harvey meets them halfway, crouches down and opens his arms, and Owen and Maisie fling themselves at him with abandon.

"Hey you two," he says. "Where's my kiss?"

Maisie quickly kisses him, but Owen of course doesn't, so Harvey rains as many kisses as he can on his face.

"Uncle Harvey, look at my princess dress," Maisie says, stepping back and grabbing at her skirt.

"Wow, don't you look beautiful," Harvey tells her, and she nods excitedly. And then he turns his attention to Owen, who's wearing dark jeans and a white shirt with fake tie, and he adds, "And look at you, little man."

Owen looks like he's about to say something, but then he looks over Harvey's shoulder and exclaims, "Mike!"

Harvey turns and sees Mike standing there, watching the three of them, his face full of love and longing and Harvey's suddenly overcome with a vision of Mike cradling their child in his arms. He shakes the thought away as Owen and Maisie run over to greet Mike, and he stands, heads over to Nate and greeting him with a hug.

"I'm so glad you're here," Harvey says earnestly. "And the kids."

"Of course," Nate replies with a grin.

Harvey hugs his father in greeting, before pulling Nate away for a moment.

"Look, Nate," Harvey says, voice low, "we're not really doing the whole 'best man' thing, but I wanted to let you know if we were I'd want it to be you."

"Harvey," Nate smiles, touched.

"And we do still need someone to be the official witness on the paperwork. I was hoping you'd be our witness."

Nate's grin widens. "Of course. I'd be honored."

"Thanks," Harvey says, clapping him on the shoulder. "I should go say hello to everyone. Talk to you in a bit."

Harvey heads over to Jessica and Donna, both of them looking sufficiently resplendent, and they chat for a few minutes. The photographer arrives not long later, and Donna introduces Rose to Harvey and Mike. They very briefly go over a plan for the rest of the day, talking about location options for after the ceremony. Harvey says he doesn't care where they go, as long as they don't look ridiculously posed. Rose laughs, assures him the photos will look completely natural, that they won't even know she's there.

Harvey and Mike mingle for a few minutes, and despite Rose's protests Harvey does indeed notice her taking pictures of everyone. And then Anthony finds him, asks if everyone is here, are they ready to begin? After doing a quick search of the room and determining that yes, everyone is here, he nods to Anthony before heading across the room to grab Mike.

"Ladies and gentlemen, if I can have your attention, we're ready to begin," Anthony announces, stepping to the front of the room.

Everyone immediately hushes, shifting to form a kind of semi-circle as Harvey and Mike head over to stand in between Anthony and their friends and families. There's no music, no aisle to walk down, just Harvey and Mike standing there, looking at each other, and Harvey can't imagine anything more perfect. Mike winks at him, and Harvey grins back in return.

"It is my honor to be here today, to welcome you to witness Harvey and Mike joining together in the bond of matrimony. I've had the pleasure of knowing Harvey for longer than either of us will ever admit. In that time I've found him to be honest and fiercely loyal. I've known Mike for a much shorter time, but even from our few meetings I know that he is intelligent, fair, deeply caring. It is these qualities that show how well suited they obviously are for each other."

Harvey reaches over and grasps Mike's hand.

"I don't think anyone will mind me saying it was a bit of a surprise getting the call from Harvey, asking me if I would perform this marriage. I had no idea they were even seeing each other. But despite my surprise, what I can say is this: I've seen Harvey and Mike work together as a team that is nigh on unbeatable. When they set their hearts and minds to something they achieve it, and I have no doubt whatsoever that they will live a happy and long life together."

Mike smiles at him, at the promise of such words, and Harvey simply squeezes his hand in silent reply.

"Given how quickly this whole thing has happened, I'm going to take a page out of Harvey and Mike's book and not waste any time on unnecessary words. So let's get straight to it. Harvey, Mike, do you have your vows ready?"

Harvey turns his attention from Anthony and looks at Mike. Mike has an expression that Harvey knows mirrors his own, and they simultaneously burst into laughter.

"I knew there was something we forgot," Mike says, still laughing.

"Let's blame our wedding planner," Harvey suggests, looking back to Donna, who of course reacts with the requisite indignation.

"Seriously, I cannot do _everything_ for you," she tells them, and the whole room is chuckling at them.

"We can just skip to the rings if you'd like," Anthony says, obviously trying not to laugh.

"No no, it's fine. We're lawyers, we're used to thinking on our feet. Right, Mike?"

"Right," Mike nods.

"Good. You first," Harvey says grinning.

Mike just laughs at him. But after they grin stupidly at each other for a few moments they both sober, turning to face each other. The only thing in the world that matters is Mike staring into his eyes as he starts talking. "This is so weird. I mean, in some ways it feels like we've been together forever and in other ways it feels no longer than four days." Harvey grins at the joke no one but the two of them will ever understand. "You know, I could talk about everything that lead us to this point, but the thing is, no one but you would understand. No one could ever understand what we've gone through together, how we managed to end up here. And it cannot be understated how much you've done for me. I love you so much, not just for who you are, but for who you've helped me become. Because you've made my life better, Harvey. You've made me love my life, for really the first time. You helped me become the man I always wanted to be, and you've done it just by being you, by being open and generous and all those things you pretend you aren't. So I guess I just want to say thank you, thank you for choosing me, for letting me love you, and I promise I'm going to spend every day loving you with every fiber of my being."

Harvey desperately wants to reach over and kiss Mike, to hold on tight and never let go. But he doesn't get the chance, because Anthony says his name, prompting him.

"You know, I thought I'd be more scared or nervous about this. I kept waiting for the cold feet and anxiety but it never came. Because I'm not scared at all - I know this is the right thing to do. People have always assumed I'd never get married because I couldn't make the commitment, or because I didn't believe in it. The truth is that I've always believed in and wanted a marriage, but I also wanted to make sure it was with the right person. _You_ are the right person, Mike. You've been the right person since the day we met, and I'm so glad we found each other, and that I waited all these years for you to come along. Because I know that whatever happens, you and me, we're in this together, always."

Mike looks like he's trying not to cry, and Harvey can relate. He didn't think it would feel like this. He feels like he's flying with the joy of it all, the way he can feel the future spread out before them, countless days full of love and laughter, and he cannot fucking wait.

Harvey hears what is an unmistakable sniffle from somewhere, and he looks to their audience, is greeted with nothing but smiling faces and shining eyes. And it's enough, he thinks, to have this, to be so surrounded by this love. It's more than he could ever ask for.

"Do you have the rings?" Anthony asks, and Harvey pulls them from his pocket, opens his palm flat for Mike to take his ring.

"Harvey, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to keep him, to be faithful to him, to love and comfort him, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse until death do you part?"

"I do," Harvey says, eyes locked on Mike as he slides the ring onto Mike's finger, never to be removed.

"Mike, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to keep him, to be faithful to him, to love and comfort him, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse until death do you part?"

"I do," Mike says, voice hoarse, and his hands cradle Harvey's own as he slides the ring onto Harvey's left ring finger.

Harvey keeps hold of Mike's hands, tangles their fingers together. They stand there grinning at each other while Anthony speaks.

"You have expressed your love and commitment through the vows you have taken today and with the exchanging of rings. It now gives me great pleasure to pronounce you joined in this sacred union. You may now kiss."

Harvey doesn't need telling twice. He leans forward, and Mike, in a complete encapsulation of their entire relationship, meets him halfway. Their lips press together, and he's vaguely aware of wrapping his hands around Mike's waist, of Mike's hands cradling his face, of the cool metal of Mike's ring against his skin, of the sound of applause and cheering from their friends and family...

But the most important thing is that when they break away, Harvey opens his eyes and he sees Mike looking back at him. Mike grins at him, looking as happy as Harvey feels, and Harvey can't help it, leaning back in and kissing his husband once more.


End file.
